Barcelona are reportedly weighing up a move for Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz next summer.
The 25-year-old has established himself as an important first-team player at Villa Park since the arrival of manager Unai Emery just over a year ago.
Luiz has morphed into an all-round midfielder and has been given the licence to roam further forward under Emery, contributing with 10 goals and eight assists in 43 Premier League appearances for Villa since the Spaniard's arrival.
The Brazil international has particularly excelled in the 2023-24 campaign, scoring six goals and providing five assists in 27 matches across all competitions for a Villa side who sit third in the Premier League table and have qualified for the last 16 of the Europa Conference League.
Luiz's impressive performances are understood to have caught the eye of a number of top European clubs in recent months, including Arsenal who are said to have identified him as one of their leading midfield targets for 2024.
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Manchester City, where Luiz spent two years but failed to make a single appearance between 2017 and 2019, and Liverpool have also been credited with an interest in the midfielder.
However, Sport claims that La Liga champions Barcelona are exploring the possibility of luring Luiz to Camp Nou ahead of the 2024-25 season.
The report adds that Barca sporting director Deco is a huge admirer of Luiz and considers him as the club's ideal midfield target for next summer's transfer window.
Deco is said to have travelled to England on several occasions in recent months to watch Luiz, and he was most recently in attendance for Villa's impressive 1-0 home victory over Arsenal in the Premier League earlier this month.
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Barcelona are still on the hunt to replace long-serving midfielder Sergio Busquets, whom they initially tried to replace with summer signing Oriol Romeu, but he is seemingly acting as a stop-gap in Xavi's side until a high-profile replacement is found.
Luiz is familiar with La Liga having spent time on loan at Girona between 2017 and 2019, making a total of 46 top-flight appearances.
However, the Brazilian's asking price could prove to be a stumbling block for Barca, as Villa are said to value the midfielder in excess of £60m, although the club's president of football operations Monchi could ask for up to £100m amid growing interest in his services.
Luiz, who is under contract at Villa Park until June 2026, recently acknowledged the rumours surrounding his future, but he has expressed his "love" for Aston Villa and will not let "stories" distract him.
Oliver Thomas
