Arsenal chief Edu plots Douglas Luiz transfer swoop as Aston Villa ‘reject’ £30m bid

Arteta gives update on Arsenal's transfer plans ahead of Deadline Day

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Arsenal have turned their attentions to Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz as they look to strengthen their options in the middle of the park, according to reports. The Brazilian international, who was brought to England by Manchester City as a teenager in the summer of 2017, is now attracting interest from a series of Premier League clubs.

His defensive, robust approach and energy in midfield has seen him develop a reputation as one of the most unsung players in the top-flight.

Yet back home in Brazil, the Selecao are under no illusions about his quality and potential.

Luiz has won nine caps for his country, who he represented at last summer’s Copa America before also winning gold at the 2020 summer Olympics in Tokyo in August.

According to The Evening Standard, Arsenal are now considering an offer for Luiz as technical director Edu focuses his efforts on signing a new central midfielder.

READ MORE: Inside Arsenal’s failed Dusan Vlahovic transfer which saw Fiorentina break promise

Villa have already reportedly rejected an offer in the region of £30m from another Premier League club – not the Gunners.

The north London side have struggled to strike a deal for Juventus’ Arthur Melo despite extensive talks in recent weeks.

While the ex-Barcelona man wants to join, Juventus are reluctant to let him leave without signing a replacement.

Arthur’s agent has held face-to-face talks with Arsenal in London in the past few weeks.

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The Gunners have not yet lost all hope a deal could materialise but with Aston Villa also after Rodrigo Bentancur, their chances of signing Arthur remain limited.

Newcastle also look set to beat Arsenal to the capture of Bruno Guimaraes from Lyon.

The 24-year-old is expected to have a medical with the Magpies, who believe they have reached an agreement with Lyon, despite the French club’s denial.

There has been talk recently that Villa are discussing a new contract with the reps of Luiz but Steven Gerrard has since provided clarity on the situation.

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“No, we haven’t opened contract talks yet with Douglas,” Gerrard declared.

“I think in this period and in this window, it has been the case of trying to strengthen the current squad, make additions and, also, find destinations for some of our younger players in terms of loans.

“Dougie has done OK for us. We’ve been happy with his training level and the performances that he has given.

“We still think that there’s room for him to get better and improve. You know, he had a bit of an injury when we first arrived and we still think there’s another gear or two for Dougie to go into.

“He’s doing us a job as a No.6 at the moment. We know that he maybe prefers to play a bit more advanced but he’s helped us out an awful lot on the back of [Marvelous] Nakamba’s injury.

“We rate the player extremely high and we’re hoping from now until the end of the season, he can really perform at his best and help the team moving forward.”

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