Arsenal are lining up a move for Brazilian deep-lying midfielder Douglas Luiz in the summer, according to the reliable Fabrizio Romano.
Aston Villa turned down several bids from unidentified clubs in January for their midfielder, who will have just 12 months left on his contract come the end of this campaign.
And Arsenal are thought to be keen on the left-footed Villian, with the Gunners already short in midfielder and likely to lose Mohamed Elneny on a free transfer come the summer when his contract expires.
This will leave just Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey and Sambi Lokonga as senior options for Mikel Arteta to call on in the middle of the park.
And, speaking on his podcast Here We Go, Romano identified Arsenal as a side keen on Luiz.
‘Arsenal need a midfielder, they wanted a midfielder in January’, he told listeners.
‘Also because Elneny will leave the club so they need a player in that position.’
‘Douglas Luiz is one to watch in the summer.’
But, they may have some competition for the midfielder, with other interested parties too, Romano confirms.
‘Not only for Arsenal, they have an interest, but I’m not convinced he will extend his contract with Aston Villa, so he could be a big name on the market this summer.’
‘So keep an eye on Douglas Luiz, not only for Arsenal, but they have his name on the list,’ he explained.
Would Luiz help Arsenal?
Arsenal and Arteta are seemingly set on finding a left-footed replacement for Granit Xhaka in order to keep balance in their midfield, and in that regard Luiz fits the bill. The Brazilian is still just 24 years old, so has years ahead of him at the top level, and could be available at a bargain price given his contractual situation.
With three assists so far this season, he has demonstrated that he has a keen eye for a pass too, while he would certainly provide a more mobile option in the middle of the park than Xhaka currently does.
All in all, it would seem a sensible upgrade.
