Arsenal have been left a bit short-handed in the midfield area with their important first-team star Thomas Partey being ruled out for the rest of the year due to injury trouble. The Gunners are aiming to strengthen their midfield in January and their reported “dream target” is Aston Villa man Douglas Luiz.
Arsenal Get Update On Aston Villa Stance For Douglas Luiz Transfer
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Are Aston Villa Open To Selling Luiz?
Fabrizio Romano has insisted that the Gunners will be going to try and sign the Brazilian midfielder in the January window despite having three bids rejected for him last year. But it doesn’t look like they will find it easy to get a deal done.
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That is based on the kind of statement Aston Villa manager Unai Emery made after his side’s 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur, in which Luiz played a key role in setting up the equalizer with a fantastic set-piece. When asked about the status of the Brazilian midfielder at his club, Emery said: “Douglas is playing very good and his commitment is amazing. I want him here. I am very happy with him and I want to keep him, of course. I think he’s happy with us too.”
As such, Romano is currently insisting that the Villans have “have no plans to sell him”
Are Arsenal Interested In Anyone Else?
The Gunners have also been recently linked to Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, but they are likely to prioritize the signing of a new midfielder over a forward. That could be because of the lack of options in that deeper midfield role due to Partey’s injury-prone nature.
However, they could find it extremely tough to sign Luiz anytime soon. Villa did their best to resist interest from them for the Brazilian midfielder last year, rejecting multiple bids before getting him to sign a new contract with them soon after that saga. The Villans are fighting for a Premier League top-4 finish this time around under Emery and it could take something truly monumental for them to sell the 25-year-old, who has six goals and three assists in 20 appearances this season.
