Arsenal are reportedly ready to try again for the transfer of Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz this summer after several failed attempts to sign him in the past. Luiz has impressed with ten goals and ten assists in all competitions so far this season, and the Gunners now look ready to compete with Barcelona for the Brazilian’s signature, according to Football Insider.
The report notes that Arsenal could have a decision to make in midfield this summer as the futures of Thomas Partey and Jorginho are uncertain, while Mohamed Elneny is heading towards being a free agent at the end of this campaign.
Luiz is one of the finest midfield players in the Premier League and would surely give Mikel Arteta a truly world class midfield alongside Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard. However, Football Insider also name Barca as a club who are now showing an interest in Luiz as well, so one imagines Villa would surely rather sell the 25-year-old abroad than to a Premier League rival. It remains to be seen what the Catalan giants will do in the transfer market this summer, with the future of Xavi and a potential new manager coming in surely likely to be key to decisions on ins and outs at the Nou Camp.
Luiz could surely be a good addition for Barcelona right now as it’s been a difficult season for the club, who are surely too far behind to catch Real Madrid in La Liga, while they were knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain last night, giving up a 3-2 lead from the first leg to go out 6-4 on aggregate.
Barca arguably never replaced legendary midfielders like Sergio Busquets and Andres Iniesta, so they could do well to look at someone like Luiz, who can score, assist and who adds energy to the midfield with his box-to-box style.
