By Betsefy
Arsenal are 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.
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“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.”
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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.
