Liverpool have reportedly joined Arsenal in the race to sign Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz, as per Football Insider.
Having endured a dire campaign last term, the Merseyside club opted to revamp their engine room by purchasing Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo last summer to challenge on all fronts this season.
It initially looked like Liverpool may struggle this term as they couldn’t sign a top-class holding midfielder, however, Klopp has brought the best out of Mac Allister and Endo, deploying the duo in the deep-lying playmaker position.
The Anfield club haven’t felt the void of a top-class defensive midfielder as they are currently at the top of the Premier League table with 45 points from 20 games. However, Liverpool have acknowledged they need to strengthen that position by purchasing a new midfielder.
Battle
According to the report by Football Insider, Liverpool have been showing an interest in signing Luiz, however, Aston Villa don’t want to let their star man leave this month so the Reds would need to wait until the end of this season to purchase the Brazilian.
Football Insider also says that Arsenal are long-term admirers of Luiz and in addition, Barcelona are now also plotting a swoop for him. So, Liverpool are set to face tough competition from their rivals in getting any potential deal done for him.
It has been reported that Villa want at least £100m to let their star man leave so Arsenal or Liverpool will have to break the bank to lure the South American away from Villa Park.
It has been suggested that the Gunners have been exploring the possibility of signing a new midfielder as a potential replacement for Thomas Partey – who has been suffering from fitness issues in recent years. Amadou Onana has been mentioned as a serious option for Mikel Arteta’s side, but Luiz is reportedly their primary target.
The Aston Villa star has already showcased glimpses of his qualities in the Premier League in recent years so he would be a great signing for Arsenal or Liverpool if either club manage to purchase him this year.
