Arsenal Informed They Must Pay £50m For Highly Sought-After Premier League Midfielder’
Arsenal have reportedly been informed that they must pay £50m to secure Aston Villa’s midfielder Douglas Luiz. The Gunners have long admired the Brazilian international and even made a bid for him during the summer of 2022, but Villa refused to sell at that time.
Under Unai Emery, the 26-year-old midfielder has become a key player for Villa, standing out as one of the team’s top performers in the 2023-24 season with 10 goals and 10 assists in all competitions.
In addition to his offensive contributions, Luiz maintained a passing accuracy of 89% in the Premier League last season, while averaging 1.7 tackles won and 4.2 duels won per match.
The Brazilian joined Aston Villa from Manchester City at the start of the 2019-20 season for a fee of around £15m plus add-ons.
Aston Villa is reportedly open to selling Douglas Luiz amid concerns over Premier League spending regulations. According to the Mirror, the club is contemplating letting go of Luiz for approximately £50m in order to comply with the Profitability and Sustainability rules of the league.
With qualification secured for next season’s Champions League, Villa’s financial situation has improved significantly. However, they still need to balance new signings with player sales to avoid potential sanctions.
Premier League clubs have until the June 30 deadline to align with the league’s Profit and Sustainability regulations.
Considering that Villa acquired Luiz for just £15m, the reported asking price for the Brazilian would result in a considerable profit for the club.
However, it’s worth noting that Arsenal is not the only major European club interested in the talented midfielder.
Luiz is attracting interest from several European powerhouses, with Juventus reportedly expressing their desire to bring him to Serie A. They are allegedly willing to offer USA international Weston McKennie along with around £25m to secure his services.
AC Milan is also monitoring the Brazilian midfielder’s situation but has yet to make a formal offer.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa is said to be in advanced negotiations to sign Ross Barkley from Luton Town on a permanent transfer. They have also made inquiries with Chelsea regarding a potential deal for Conor Gallagher.
Former Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi has been linked with a move to Villa Park, potentially reuniting with manager Unai Emery, who previously coached him at the Emirates before Mikel Arteta’s arrival.
Arsenal, on the other hand, are preparing for the potential departure of several current players this summer, including Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah, and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
The Gunners are prioritizing the acquisition of a new center-forward in the upcoming transfer window to strengthen their squad. This comes after their current attacking duo of Gabriel Jesus and Nketiah only managed nine goals between them last season.
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