Arsenal are ready to lodge another offer for Douglas Luiz as they plot a move for the midfielder in January.
According to Fichajes, Arsenal could return with a new offer for Douglas Luiz in the January window after seeing their efforts turned down by Aston Villa on deadline day. Mikel Arteta wants the midfielder to shore up the squad in the second half of the season.
Douglas Luiz will be a name fresh in the minds of Arsenal fans, who were momentarily relieved to see the midfielder linked with a move. The Gunners made late attempts on deadline day to lure in the Brazilian after Mikel Arteta switched the club’s attention from a winger to the midfielder.
The Gunners experienced a good summer window after bringing in decent players to improve their squad quality. Those included Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zincheko and Fabio Vieira as their main incomings, but Arteta also wanted a winger until late in the market.
As deadline day approached, Arsenal suffered a setback after Thomas Partey, and Mohamed Elneny suffered injury blows, which prompted Arteta to look for a midfielder instead of a winger. With little to no time left, the Gunners launched a move for Luiz on deadline day.
Aston Villa did not anticipate losing the midfielder despite the Brazilian having less than a year left on his deal. The Gunners made at least three bids, with £25 million being the highest. Steven Gerrard’s side rejected each of those and kept hold of the midfielder.
Luiz had reportedly agreed on personal terms with Arsenal and seemed keen on making the switch. He could get another shot at joining the north Londoners as the Gunners are expected to return with a new offer in January. The new bid may not be close to the £25 million offered on deadline day, but it might still be a significant outlay for a player with less than 6 months on his contract.
Arteta is keen on the Brazilian as he wants to add quality in central midfield, given the concerns mounting with Partey. The Ghanian is key to the team as there’s no one else in his position as cover.
There could be other teams interested in Luiz, but Arsenal seems like the frontrunner for the Brazilian. The big hurdle in bringing him may come from Aston Villa, who may continue with their stance and keep hold of the midfielder, despite his apparent exit in six months on a free transfer.
Whether Arsenal are successful in their approach remains to be seen, although if Aston Villa insists on keeping the player, Arteta may switch his attention to another target.
