According to CaughtOffside, Arsenal are planning a concrete January move to sign Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz despite the high financial demands.
The Gunners added more quality to their midfield during the last transfer window with the signings of Declan Rice and Kai Havertz. The former has been constantly shifted between the no.6 and no.8 roles depending on the opponent and situation of the game.
Jorginho’s presence has compensated for the injury absence of Thomas Partey, but Caught Offside claim that the latter could leave the club as early as January. A move to Saudi Arabia could be on the cards for the former Atletico Madrid man.
Amidst this, it is reported that Luiz is the main midfield target for Arsenal in January despite the high demands. The Gunners are prepared to make a concrete move in the coming weeks, but it could take £60 million at least to bring Villa to the negotiation table.
Top-class midfielder
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta was keen on bringing Luiz to the club in September last year. He was seen as an option after an injury to Partey, but their £25 million bid was not sufficient to persuade Villa into a sale.
At that point, the Brazilian was not a prominent figure in the starting XI but he ended up signing a new Villa contract. Under Unai Emery, he has now become a mainstay in the line-up in all competitions.
He is one of the first names on the team sheet and has been brilliant in the league this season, winning 2.4 tackles, 5.3 duels and making 6.4 recoveries per appearance. He has chipped in with 6 goals and 4 assists too.
Luiz is currently only 25 years of age and would be a top-notch signing for Arsenal if he were to land him. Villa do not want to sell him at the halfway stage of the season as they are competing for Champions League qualification.
However, their resolve could be seriously tested if Arsenal are willing to pay £60 million or more in January.
