Arsenal ready to make fresh bid for Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz?

Arsenal are reportedly considering whether to reignite their interest in signing Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz.

Although Luiz was initially signed by Manchester City in July 2017, it took until his switch to the West Midlands in 2019 to kick-start his career.

The 25-year-old has progressed into one of Villa's key players, contributing a total of 12 goals and 14 assists from 151 appearances in all competitions.

Six goals and six assists came from 37 outings in the Premier League during 2022-23 as Villa secured a seventh-placed finish which delivered Europa Conference League football.

Nevertheless, at the start of the campaign, the Brazil international had looked more likely to move to Arsenal than extend his contract past 2023.

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Mikel Arteta had been keen to take advantage of Luiz's situation at Villa Park, only for Luiz to pen fresh terms at a time when Villa were only then considered candidates for mid-table.

Arsenal have since moved on to other targets, with the Gunners having since added the likes of Jorginho and Declan Rice to strengthen their midfield options.

However, according to The Sun, Arteta would be happy for Arsenal to make a fresh bid to try to secure the signature of Luiz before the end of the summer.

The report suggests that the North Londoners are ready to go head-to-head with their city rivals Tottenham Hotspur in order to win the race for his services.

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With three years left on Luiz's contract, it is unclear whether Villa would be prepared to cash in on Luiz, or if the player himself would be interested in a transfer elsewhere when he is settled in the area.

That said, the addition of Youri Tielemans means that Villa are arguably over-stocked in the engine room, even with a prolonged run on the continent a possibility.

A recent report has also alleged that Villa have enquired about Fiorentina's Sofyan Amrabat, who may be available for a fee marginally in excess of £25m.

Villa may look to sell fringe members of the squad if they are required to raise funds before making other signings, rather than part ways with an important player.