Transfer Centre

Arsenal 'told to pay £50m for in-demand Premier League midfielder'

By Devesh Jaganath | 10 June 2024

Arsenal are reportedly told they will need to shell out £50m to secure the signature of transfer target Douglas Luiz from Aston Villa.

Arsenal have reportedly been told they will need to shell out £50m to secure the signature of transfer target Douglas Luiz from Aston Villa.

The Gunners have been admirers of the Brazil international for a long time and are believed to have made a bid to sign him during the summer of 2022, but Villa chose not to sell at the time.

Under Unai Emery, the 26-year-old midfielder has cemented his role as a crucial figure in Villa's midfield and emerged as one of the team's standout performers in 2023-24, tallying 10 goals and 10 assists across all competitions.

In addition to his goal contributions, Luiz maintained a passing accuracy of 89% in the Premier League last term, along with averaging 1.7 tackles won and 4.2 duels won per match.

The Brazilian arrived at Villa Park from Manchester City at the start of the 2019-20 season for a fee of around £15m plus add-ons.

Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz on March 17, 2023 © Reuters

Aston Villa willing to part ways with Douglas Luiz amid concerns over PL spending rules

According to the Mirror, the Villains are considering parting ways with Luiz for around £50m, as they need to comply with the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

The report adds that with qualification secured for next season's Champions League, Villa's finances have received a significant boost, but the club will still need to balance new signings with player sales in order to avoid sanction.

Premier League clubs facing pressure to comply with the league's PSR rules have until the June 30 deadline to get their finances in order.

Considering Luiz cost the Lions just £15m to bring him to Villa Park, if they were to receive the reported asking price for the Brazilian, it would represent a significant profit for the club.

However, it is understood that Arsenal are not the only European giants keeping an eye on the highly-rated midfielder.

Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie pictured in December 2023 © Reuters

Luiz attracting interest from several European giants

Juventus are believed to have signalled their interest in taking Luiz to the Serie A and are willing to include USA international Weston McKennie, along with around £25m to complete a deal.

AC Milan are also keeping tabs on the Brazilian's midfielder but are yet to make a formal offer.

Villa, meanwhile, are reportedly in advanced talks to sign Ross Barkley from Luton Town on a permanent transfer and have also made enquiries with Chelsea about a potential deal for Conor Gallagher.

Former Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi has also been linked with a move to Villa Park, which would see him reunite with Emery, who was his manager at the Emirates before Arteta's arrival.

Arsenal, on the other hand, are preparing for the departure of several existing players this summer, including the likes of Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

The Gunners have prioritised bringing in a new centre-forward in the off-season to bolster their squad after their current attacking duo of Gabriel Jesus and Nketiah managed just nine goals between them last season.