AS Roma have been asked to fork out €35 million for the services of Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz.
A recent report from Il Romanista has offered a detailed report on AS Roma’s transfer policy and status. It appears the Serie A giants have identified Douglas Luiz as a potential target in the upcoming January transfer window, with head coach Jose Mourinho keen on shoring up his options in the middle of the park.
A native of Rio de Janeiro, Luiz arrived in Europe in 2017, joining Manchester City for a fee of €12 million. Unsurprisingly, he had no scope of making a breakthrough at Etihad and was immediately loaned out to Girona for two years.
The midfielder made a positive impression during his two-year spell in Spain, notching up 46 competitive appearances for the club. After the end of his loan spell, he was quickly snapped up by Aston Villa in 2019 for a fee of €16 million.
Since then, the Brazilian has managed to appear in 84 competitive matches for the Villans. He has been an ever-present figure in the club’s midfield department, forming a rather solid combination alongside John McGinn. However, the defensive midfielder is apparently not too keen on continuing his career at Villa Park.
His current contract at the club expires in 2023, and the midfielder has reportedly rejected Villa’s approach for a new deal. Although the report suggests that Aston Villa are holding out for €35 million for the services of Luiz, it has put AS Roma on red alert as they continue to scour the market for midfielders.
The Giallorossi have already been linked with a move for Barcelona star Sergi Roberto this month. They have reportedly rekindled their interest in Granit Xhaka as well, although the Arsenal midfielder has suffered from an injury for the majority of the season so far.
In Luiz, though, Jose Mourinho may get his hands on one of the most athletic midfielders in the Premier League. The Brazilian has indeed made a solid impression with his phenomenal work ethic and could prove to be a valuable addition to the Roma side.
The Italian giants, though, are not too keen on meeting Aston Villa’s €35 million demands. Instead, they are prepared to wait out until next summer to make a move for the former Man City star in order to snap him up for a cut-price. The Villans, for their part, are considering a January swoop for Matias Vecino, as new coach Steven Gerrard looks to shore up his options in the middle.
