Arsenal remain interested in signing Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz but according to Football Insider, Villa wants to tie him down to a new contract.
The Gunners have a long-standing interest in Luiz and with Thomas Partey being constantly sidelined with injuries, Mikel Arteta wants to sign the Villa man as the replacement for Partey.
Thomas Partey has played just 251 minutes of Premier League football this season and he’s currently recovering from a groin injury. The Arsenal manager has plans to offload him during the January window and he wants Douglas Luiz to be his long-term heir.
Luiz’s current contract with Villa runs until 2026 but Unai Emery considers him a very important part of his team which is why the club are already planning to offer him a new and improved deal.
Arsenal had failed to sign Douglas Luiz last summer as the player went on to sign a new deal and with Villa currently sitting fifth on the Premier League table, there’s no way Emery will agree to sell the Brazilian international in January either.
If a good enough offer comes in Mikel Arteta will not stop Thomas Partey from leaving but the Gunners will have to bring in a replacement for the second half of the season. Arsenal are in the Champions League plus they are also pushing for the EPL title and they won’t be able to fight on all front with one less midfielder.
Douglas Luiz is currently valued at €55 million but with three years left on his contract, Arsenal will have to pay around €80 million if they wish to land the midfielder.
Some rumours are suggesting that Arsenal won’t go after the midfielder in January in which case they cannot afford to sell Partey either. However, the main cause of concern for Mikel Arteta will be this new deal because if he puts pen on paper then it will be a signal for Arsenal that Douglas Luiz is not too keen to join them.
For Aston Villa, a top-six finish this season will go a long way in convincing Luiz to commit his future to Villa Park. The 25-year-old has just signed a contract extension in 2022 so we believe an upgrade is not going to happen anytime before the next summer.
