Aston Villa may be forced to sell Douglas Luiz before the end of June, with suitors like Arsenal handed a boost in his pursuit.
According to the Brazilian outlet Lance, Aston Villa could be forced to consider offers coming in for some of its key players, including Douglas Luiz. The Brazilian midfielder was one of their key performers, although their PSR obligations will see the club sell their star man, with Arsenal interested.
Aston Villa to sell Douglas Luiz?
Some recent reports revealed what many had long suspected: that Aston Villa are one of the six clubs that need to raise funds before June 30 to comply with PSR rules. Unai Emery’s side remains keen to bring in some key performers ahead of an important season. Still, those financial obligations could cause the Spaniard to lose one of his influential stars, Douglas Luiz.
Aston Villa have been adamant about keeping Luiz for a long time and, even last summer, did not entertain offers. They remained stiff in their stance even in January while placing a reported £100 million asking price to ward off suitors away from Luiz. However, those PSR obligations will deal with their plans as a significant burden, as Villa may reluctantly have to consider offers for the midfielder.
The report states that Villa even tried their bit with the Premier League to amend those rules and increase the loss threshold by another £30 million. As they have failed in that pursuit, the following solution would see them sell players, and Luiz is one of their top assets. Despite those reports stating they wanted £100 million, the story says the club might sell him for £50 million in the current market.
Aston Villa had planned to open talks about a new contract with Luiz, but that may be out of their hands. Should the Brazilian become available, a host of clubs, most notably Arsenal, will likely make their presence felt in the race.
Arsenal to make Luiz move?
Arsenal will be handed a boost with the news that Aston Villa will have to sell before June 30 and rekindle their interest in Luiz. He remains a player that Mikel Arteta admires, but the Gunners will face competition from rivals for his signature.
For £50 million, Arsenal will indeed likely attempt an approach for the midfielder, even if Aston Villa now considers them a direct rival in the context of the league next season. Whether the Gunners succeed in their pursuit remains the question, although they are in the market for a player in Luiz’s position.
