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Arsenal 'will reignite Douglas Luiz interest in January'

Arsenal 'will reignite Douglas Luiz interest in January'
© Reuters
Arsenal will reignite their interest in Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz during the January transfer window, according to a report.

Arsenal are reportedly preparing to return for Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz during the winter transfer window.

The Gunners attempted to sign the Brazilian in the latter stages of the summer market, with the club believed to have had at least two offers rejected, with their final bid said to be in the region of £25m.

Villa are thought to have made it clear that they would not sell for under £30m, which is a figure that the North London outfit were not prepared to meet.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta revealed late in the window that the injuries to Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny led to a late scramble for a new central midfielder.

"We had a lot of things still to do in the squad. The club has done a phenomenal job of bringing in players that we wanted," Arteta told reporters.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on August 27, 2022© Reuters

"Unfortunately, in the last 72 hours, Thomas [Partey] and Mohamed [Elneny] got injured, and we had to react in the market. We tried, and at the end of the day, we have to bring in the players we feel are right, but we didn't manage to do it."

Villa boss Steven Gerrard, meanwhile, said at the end of the transfer window that he had no concerns over the player's attitude moving forward.

"Knowing the boy and the player, I doubt it (whether Luiz would lose focus). I've got confidence he'll understand the situation and the club's decision that we didn't want to lose a very important player and a top player so late on in the window," Gerrard told reporters.

"From a personal point of view, I very much back the club's decision and stance on that. I spoke to Dougie face-to-face yesterday, he understood where it was at and the position that the club was in, and he very much respects the decision.

"Hopefully, it'll calm down in the hours and days coming, and he'll be fine moving forward."

Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz in action in November 21.© Reuters

However, Luiz's contract at Villa Park is due to expire next June, and there remains uncertainty surrounding his future.

According to Football Insider, Arsenal are planning to reignite their interest during the January transfer window, when he could potentially be available for a smaller fee.

The South American would also be free to discuss a pre-contract with foreign clubs at the start of 2023, though, should Villa be unable to sign him to a new deal.

Atletico Madrid and Juventus are among the foreign teams believed to be interested in the midfielder, who has scored twice in six appearances for Gerrard's side this term, but he is said to be pushing to move to Arsenal.

Luiz arrived at Villa Park from Manchester City in July 2019 and has made 117 appearances for the club in all competitions, contributing seven goals and eight assists in the process.

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Written by
Matt Law

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Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz celebrates scoring their fourth goal on July 9, 2022
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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool18143145172845
2Arsenal20117239182140
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest1911442619737
4Chelsea20106439241536
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle20105534221235
6Manchester CityMan City2010463627934
7Bournemouth209653023733
8Aston Villa209563032-232
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10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2061043029128
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12Tottenham HotspurSpurs20731042301224
13West Ham UnitedWest Ham206592439-1523
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15Crystal Palace204972128-721
16Everton193881525-1017
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1944113142-1116
18Ipswich TownIpswich1936101833-1515
19Leicester CityLeicester2035122344-2114
20Southampton2013161244-326


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