The intense battle for Aston Villa’s star midfielder Douglas Luiz has left Arsenal and Manchester City locked in a bitter battle in the transfer market. Although Arsenal have identified Luiz as their top target for 2024, sources suggest a January deal looks unlikely, Wayne Veysey revealed on Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast.
Arsenal have prioritized acquiring the Brazilian in both the upcoming winter and summer transfer windows, but the deal has not yet been completed. According to the same sources, Manchester City, Luiz’s former team, are also showing great interest in the defensive midfielder. Villa, in turn, value the player at £110m and remain “unyielding” in their stance not to sell him during the winter transfer window.
Douglas Luiz, the wish of the Prime Minister’s greats
Arsenal are looking to bolster their squad with quality reinforcements and City, for their part, are eyeing Kalvin Phillips in January while keeping a close eye on their former star Douglas Luiz. Luiz is considered a top player and has left a clear mark at Aston Villa with six goals and four assists this season.
The Brazilian midfielder was a key player in Villa’s resurgence under Unai Emery. Their influence was evident at the end of last season, securing crucial wins against Tottenham and Brighton that secured them a place in the Europa Conference League. He has continued his leading role in the current season, contributing to back-to-back wins against Arsenal and City in recent games.
With Villa currently third in the Premier League table, the battle to sign Luiz between Arsenal and Manchester City promises to be a major narrative in the transfer market. The uncertainty over the midfielder’s future and the desire of both clubs to strengthen suggests a period of negotiations and speculation over the upcoming transfer windows.