According to The Sun, Arsenal are prepared to hijack Tottenham Hotspur’s move to sign Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz this summer.
Luiz was on the radar of Arsenal during last summer’s transfer window. The Gunners made multiple bids for the Brazilian with the highest being £25 million. Villa refused to consider his sale with barely any time left to find a replacement.
It is now reported by The Sun that Arsenal are back in the hunt for the 25-year-old and could look to beat Spurs, who see him as a replacement for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
Quality player
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta knows Luiz from his time as an assistant manager at Manchester City. The club agreed personal terms with the player last summer, but Villa refused to sell.
It appears the Gunners could make a fresh approach to land the versatile midfielder, though it could depend on what happens with the future of Thomas Partey at the club.
Partey has been linked with Juventus as well as many Saudi Arabian clubs. The 30-year-old has not spoken with anyone yet, but the scenario could change in the coming weeks.
Arteta recently hinted that Rice could be his main defensive midfielder. This could urge Partey to move on, particularly with the prospect of big wages from the Middle East.
Luiz would be a quality replacement for Arsenal. The Brazilian is good when it comes to making challenges and winning duels, but also offers more in the final third of the pitch.
He is a threat with his deliveries from set-pieces. Last season, he accumulated 7 goals and 6 assists. Out of those, 3 goals were surprisingly scored directly from corner kicks.
With Villa now competing in Europe, it won’t be easy for Arsenal or Spurs to prise him away. It would take a substantial transfer fee to convince Unai Emery’s side to consider his exit over the coming weeks.
