Ian Wright has already endorsed Arsenal summer bid for star ‘ready to be one of the best’
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Arsenal hero Ian Wright has already made his feelings crystal clear on summer target Douglas Luiz. The Brazilian star was the subject of interest from the Gunners during the January window, but Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard stood firm on his commitment to improving the squad, which saw Luiz stay in the West Midlands.
Luiz appears to have stepped up another level since Gerrard’s managerial appointment at Villa Park.
The 23-year-old’s arrival at the Emirates would surely have boosted fans’ morale at the end of a January window which saw them lose a host of players without signing a single replacement.
The Evening Standard claimed that he was on Mikel Arteta’s radar last month, although an unsuccessful deadline day bid reportedly came from north London rivals Tottenham instead.
That marked the end of a frustrating month which looks to have dented the Gunners’ bid for a top-four spot, but Wright’s glowing comments seem to endorse going back in for Luiz when the window opens again at the end of the season.
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“[Aston Villa] have got defenders and midfielders who are ready [to go the next level],” he told the Wrighty’s House podcast in 2020.
“Someone like Douglas Luiz he is ready to be one of the best midfield players in the Premier League.
“He is so underrated, at the minute.
“They blasted us. We had no chance. It was men against boys.”
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Villa supposedly rejected January bids for Luiz in the region of £30m, but with 18 months left to run on his contract, Arsenal may be in with a chance of a cut-price deal during the summer.
They may have to fend off competition for his signature though, with Tottenham and Newcastle also rumoured to have shown recent interest.
In this campaign, Luiz has appeared in 17 of Villa’s 21 Premier League games, on top of expanding his portfolio of matches for the Brazilian national team.
His rise to prominence is by no means a total surprise, as Luiz spent two years at Manchester City between 2017 and 2019, where he may have featured more if work permit issues did not create complications.
Pep Guardiola has been complimentary about the midfielder in the past, and although City opted not to activate their buyback clause during his early days at Villa, it was believed to be under consideration.
“He’s a guy who’s played a lot of minutes, he’s an important player for Aston Villa,” said the Sky Blues boss last year.
“A guy who’s clever with the ball, he’s so physical and strong.
“I’m happy he’s developing really, really well.”
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