Douglas Luiz back in claret and blue — and courting Edu’s daughter

Douglas Luiz doesn’t do quiet comebacks. The Brazilian midfielder has returned to Aston Villa on loan after a stop–start spell at Juventus and a brief stint with Nottingham Forest — and he’s already back on the back pages thanks to a new romance with Duda Gaspar, the 19-year-old daughter of Arsenal Invincible Edu.

New club chapter, new love story

Luiz, 27, has slipped neatly back into claret and blue, but it’s his life off the pitch that’s sparked the biggest stir. Duda shared a snap with the Villa man to her 57,000 Instagram followers, captioned: “You are my greatest certainty,” to which Luiz replied: “Making you happy will be my priority.” Subtle? Not a bit — and why should it be?

Duda was spotted at Villa Park as Unai Emery’s side dispatched Nottingham Forest 4-1 on aggregate to book a spot in the 2026 Europa League final. Luiz even chimed in on another post of Duda in Villa colours, calling it the “Perfect combination.” The pair have clearly gone public, and the Villa Park faithful won’t mind the smiles so long as the standards stay high.

A look back: from Lehmann to now

Luiz’s dating life has long been a talking point. He previously went out with Swiss forward Alisha Lehmann when both were at Villa, reunited during a spell at Juventus in 2024, and then split again in 2025. Lehmann has since been linked with Love Island’s Montel McKenzie after they went Instagram official in January. Luiz, for his part, seems to have moved on decisively.

On the pitch: flashes, but Villa need more

Since rejoining Emery’s ranks in January 2026, Luiz has featured in 10 Premier League matches, missing just two. The problem? Only two of those outings have ended in wins, and Villa — who once looked poised for something special — have slipped out of the title race and top-four picture, with fifth looking the most likely finish. The Brazilian still offers bite and a decent passing range, but this run-in demands tempo, leadership and a bit of nous. If he brings that in Europe, he could yet define Villa’s season.

The Edu-Forest thread

There’s another twist. Edu was serving as club chief at Nottingham Forest when Luiz arrived on loan. Whether the midfielder knew Duda before the City Ground move is unclear, but the dots aren’t hard to join. Either way, both men have now departed Forest. Edu’s exit was messy — told to keep away from the stadium and training ground just before his sacking was confirmed — and the club churned through four managers in a single season: Nuno Espirito Santo, then Ange Postecoglou, followed by Sean Dyche, before Vitor Pereira took the reins. The fallout has left Forest 16th, six points clear of West Ham in the drop zone.

Pundit’s verdict

Luiz has always been box office — a classy operator at his best, a lightning rod for headlines at his most human. The romance with Duda Gaspar will grab clicks, but it’s what happens under the Villa Park floodlights that matters now. Deliver in the Europa League and the narrative writes itself: a redemption arc with a European medal as the punctuation. Drift, and the love story becomes a distraction he can do without.

If you’re weighing up form, fixtures and the odds ahead of that European showpiece, don’t forget the tools at your disposal — the market moves quickly and savvy fans stay ahead of the curve. Check the latest prices via our best betting sites hub and keep your eye on the numbers as team news breaks.

The bottom line

Back at Villa, back in the spotlight, and now publicly coupled up with Edu’s daughter — Douglas Luiz is writing a fresh chapter. Time to make it a winning one.