Arsenal target Douglas Luiz is reportedly ‘increasingly attracted’ to a transfer away from Aston Villa ahead of his contract expiry in 2023.
Luiz signed for Aston Villa in 2019 after not making a single senior appearance for Manchester City.
The defensive midfielder has been an integral player for the Villans over the past few seasons in the Premier League.
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Luiz’s form for Villa has led to him making his senior debut for Brazil and he has been capped nine times since 2019.
His future at the club is in doubt at the moment as his current contract is set to expire in 2023.
It is therefore somewhat surprising that no clubs bid for him until late on in the summer window.
A few offers came in from Arsenal after Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny suffered injuries. This left them with just Granit Xhaka and Albert Sambi Lokonga to choose from in centre-midfield.
Arsenal reportedly had three bids rejected for Luiz, with their final offer understood to be worth £25m.
Aston Villa were unwilling to sell as the timing of these bids made it so they would have been unable to bring in a replacement.
Steven Gerrard thinks the midfielder will “understand the situation” and why Aston Villa wanted to keep him:
“I’ve got confidence that he’ll understand the situation and the club’s decision,” Gerrard said.
“We didn’t want to lose a very important player and a top player so late in the window. From a personal point of view I very much back the club’s stance on that.”
Arsenal legend Ray Parlour has questioned Villa’s decision to keep Luiz as they risk losing him for free next year:
“Sometimes you just can’t come to that deal. I don’t know what the deal would have been to get the right money for Villa to agree,” Parlour said.
“Probably about £30m to £35m would have got him but Arsenal were probably looking at the financial situation and saying well we can’t go that far.
“That’s what happens in football once that transfer window closes. Villa will now be looking at January to try and move him on but whether it will be less money then I don’t know.
“I think Villa fans, if he’s not going to sign a new contract I don’t see the point in keeping him, I really can’t.”
Luiz leaving Villa for free next summer is looking more and more likely. Il Milanista (via Sport Witness) are reporting that he is ‘increasingly attracted’ to…
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