- Manchester City and Arsenal are interested in Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz.
- Luiz was sold by Manchester City to Aston Villa a season ago, and he has been one of their best performers.
Luiz has been one of the best players in a relegation-threatened Aston Villa side, and Manchester City, as well as Arsenal, are said to be keen on a move.
Luiz joined Manchester City from Brazilian side Vasco da Gama in 2017, before immediately moving on loan to Girona for two years. The midfielder returned to Manchester in 2019, where it was reported that Pep Guardiola was interested in including him in his first-team plans.
However, unable to secure a work permit for Luiz, Manchester City sold him to Aston Villa for £15 million. The Brazil international has performed well for a porous Villa side, operating in the centre of the midfield.
It has been reported that Manchester City have a buy-back option for the 22-year-old, and they are said to be considering their options. With Fernandinho not getting any younger, Luiz could provide some good competition for Rodri in the defensive midfield position.
Taking into consideration the fact that Guardiola wanted to keep him in the first place, a move for Luiz makes sense.
https://twitter.com/thevillascout/status/1285988880588705792
Arsenal to rival Manchester City in Douglas Luiz pursuit
Manchester City’s Premier League rivals, Arsenal, are also keeping a keen eye on the situation. Mikel Arteta is said to be a fan of the midfielder, due to his three-year stint as assistant manager for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
The Arsenal boss is said to be unhappy with his midfield options, in particular youngster Matteo Guendouzi. The Frenchman’s attitude has irked the Arsenal manager and reports have suggested that he is willing to let go of him.
Douglas Luiz has been ever-present for Aston Villa this season. He has played 35 games in the Premier League, scoring three goals and providing two assists.
Manchester City have other areas to focus on. They are extremely interested in Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly as well as Bournemouth centre-back Nathan Ake. The Sky Blues have also been linked with Valencia winger Ferran Torres, as well as Bayern Munich left-back David Alaba.
Arsenal, on the other hand, are said to be focusing on Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey and Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar. RB Leipzig centre-back Dayot Upamecano has also been suggested as a potential target to improve the defence.
Arsenal are considering a move for Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz, amid renewed interest from Manchester City. [@90min_Football exclusive] #afc pic.twitter.com/qO8w302yjf
— afcstuff (@afcstuff) July 23, 2020
With the contract of manager Pep Guardiola expiring next year, it will be interesting to see what Manchester City do. Having brought in Guardiola to establish domestic dominance and become a major European force, it is fair to say that only the former has been achieved.
Manchester City, despite spending a lot since the arrival of the Spaniard, are yet to conquer the Champions League. Having had their two-year Champions League ban lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, City are reportedly willing to spend again this summer.
