Arsenal are reportedly set to again move for Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz, during the January transfer window.
According to a recent report from The Sun, the north London club will aim to secure the Brazilian’s signature in January after reportedly having a third bid of £25m rejected by Villa on the final day of the summer transfer window.
This latest report also claims that the Gunners will look to offer £15m to the Midlands club for the midfielder this time around.
Luiz at Aston Villa
Villa signed Luiz from fellow Premier League club Manchester City in a £15m deal three years ago. Since then, the 24-year-old has gone on to make 109 appearances for the Villans in the Premier League, chipping in with six goals and seven assists along the way.
Across six league appearances for Steven Gerrard’s side in the current campaign, the midfielder currently has the highest rate of shot-creating actions per 90 minutes (2.91) and the fifth-highest percentage of passes completed (83.3%) at the Midlands club.
This showcases how comfortable the £52k-per-week Brazilian is in possession and how much of a nuisance he can be in an attacking sense.
Potentially great business
Bearing in mind how Mikel Arteta has had to deal with constant injury issues to current Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey and is considering bringing in a player like Luiz who has plenty of experience in the Premier League, it’s easy to see why the club are so keen to get the 24-year-old to the Emirates Stadium.
Hailed as an “unbelievable” player in the past by former Villa manager Dean Smith, Luiz could be a very smart prospective signing for Arsenal and give Arteta what he needs as an extra midfield option.
From a financial point of view, if the Gunners are able to secure a deal for the player that would cost them 40% less than what they were offering in the summer, it could be an incredibly astute move and something of a bargain.
The player’s contract at Villa expires next June, so the Midlands club might just be willing to cash in if they cannot convince him to agree to a new deal – another factor which could work in Arsenal’s favour.
