The Sun has reported that Arsenal are looking to return with a fresh offer for Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz in January.
It was only last month that the Gunners decided to pursue Luiz and even attempted to convince Villa to part ways with the Brazilian on deadline day. The Villains, however, rejected Arsenal’s £23 million bid for the midfielder, despite him being in the final year of his contract.
The Sun has claimed that Arsenal are growing increasingly concerned about Thomas Partey’s injury situation. The Ghanaian midfielder has missed 15 games since April 4, including the crucial nine-game run last season which was decisive in the race for fourth position. Partey was forced to return from international duty due to a fresh knee injury after only recently recovering from a thigh problem.
Luiz is seen as an ideal replacement for the 29-year-old but the report has revealed that the North Londoners intend to submit an offer worth less than what they offered last summer. The consensus at Emirates stadium is that a bid in the region of £15 million will be enough for a player who will have less than 6 months left on his contract. Luiz joined Villa for a fee of £12.5 million back in 2019, from Manchester City.
The South American has not been a regular under Steven Gerrard this season as he is said to be keen on a move to North London. Moreover, he has rejected all of his club’s advances to renew his contract. He also has a good relationship in place with Mikel Arteta from their time at Manchester City.
Our View
If Arsenal are looking at a low-cost target who is not injury-prone and is experienced in the Premier League, Luiz is an ideal target to chase.
They have done the hard work of convincing the player to join them and now all that remains is to tempt Aston Villa into accepting a sum for a player they most likely could lose for free at the end of the season.
Capable of playing as a holding as well as a central midfielder, Luiz can contribute not only while attacking but also defending. He is adept at passing, taking set pieces and is valuable when it comes to blocking shots inside his own half.
Luiz is an ideal target for a club like Arsenal who spent heavily during the summer. And, with them being serious contenders in the title race, Luiz’s addition will add some much-needed depth to Arteta’s midfield ranks, which could come in handy as the season enters its second half after the winter window.
