Arsenal are reportedly set to concede defeat in the pursuit of one of their long-term midfield targets, who is closing in on a switch to Juventus.
Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz was memorably pursued by the North London giants in the summer of 2022, when the Gunners reportedly had bids of £25m and £30m turned down.
The Brazil international penned a contract extension with the Lions a couple of months later and has continued to thrive under Unai Emery, scoring 10 goals and setting up 10 more in 53 matches last season.
Luiz's efforts were crucial in Villa's successful push for Champions League qualification, and the ex-Manchester City man is also set to represent Brazil at this summer's Copa America.
However, Luiz's terms at Villa Park only runs until the summer of 2026, and the Lions are believed to be open to letting him go for the right price to help comply with Profit and Sustainability Rules.
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Juventus 'progressing' in talks with Luiz
Arsenal are pursuing a new defensive midfielder in the summer market and have been tipped to reignite their interest in Luiz, who could apparently be available for around £50m in the upcoming window.
However, the Gunners have seemingly been dealt another painful transfer blow, as Sky Sports News claims that Aston Villa and Juventus are making progress in talks over a deal for Luiz.
The Bianconeri, who are on the verge of appointing Thiago Motta as their new head coach, have pursued new midfield options for a while amid Paul Pogba's four-year doping ban, which is expected to precede a contract termination.
Previous reports claimed that Juventus could include Weston McKennie and Samuel Iling-Junior as part of a deal to drive the price down, and the outlet adds that the duo are also part of the discussion, but as separate deals rather than one big negotiation.
Juventus are still expected to fork out a cash sum to help the process along smoothly, but that should not represent a major obstacle, and both clubs are apparently inching towards a full agreement.
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Luiz's switch to Turin will mark the end of a successful five-year spell at Villa, who poached him from Manchester City for £14.2m in 2019, since when he has contributed 22 goals and 24 assists from 204 matches for the Lions.
Arsenal running out of options in midfielder search
While Luiz was not thought to have been a prime summer target for Arsenal this time around, his imminent move to Juventus leaves Arsenal extremely thin on the ground in terms of possible midfield acquisitions this summer.
The Gunners are already believed to have vetoed a swoop for Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes, whose £100m release clause expires at the end of the month, while Everton's Amadou Onana is not of serious interest either.
Meanwhile, Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi is supposedly only interested in leaving his current club if Real Madrid or Barcelona come knocking, which could force Arteta into a serious engine room rethink.
Arsenal were dealt a further blow in their search for a new striker earlier on Tuesday, as it was widely reported that Benjamin Sesko had decided to extend his contract with RB Leipzig.
Ben Knapton
