Premier League title race: Arsenal take over from Man City at top
Arsenal face a tough task to land transfer target Douglas Luiz as Mikel Arteta looks to lure the Brazilian midfielder away from Aston Villa. Liverpool are reportedly among the Premier League clubs lurking for Luiz and his impressive displays under Unai Emery has prompted several top teams to question whether he should be playing at a higher level.
Arsenal and Liverpool are continuing their attempts to bolster midfield options for Mikel Arteta and Jurgen Klopp, after the Gunners previously had three bids for Luiz turned down by Villa almost a year ago. He then went on to pen a new contract at Villa Park to deter any further interest from the traditional ‘big six’.
Arsenal face a similar depth issue in midfield this season despite signing Declan Rice in the summer and have reignited their interest in the 25-year-old. He has continued his blistering form with five goals and two assists in the league as the lynchpin of a Villa side sat inside the top four.
But TEAMTalk have claimed that Liverpool and Manchester City both also hold a genuine interest in Luiz. The news will come as a blow to Arsenal who could be facing another transfer battle with Pep Guardiola’s side, having been forced to improve their offer considerably for Rice after City attempted to sign the former West Ham captain in July.
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Liverpool, meanwhile, could be targeting Luiz in order to anchor Klopp’s midfield. Alexis Mac Allister has been tasked with the responsibility so far this season, but would likely prefer to play higher up the pitch and Aston Villa’s star man could help facilitate that switch to play closer to the Reds’ frontline.
However, Villa have reportedly slapped an £80million price tag on Luiz. They are hoping to hold onto the man who spent two years contracted to City between 2017 and 2019, and they have an advantage having tied him down to a new deal until 2026 in October.
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Emery opened up on how he wants to keep Luiz at Villa following their 2-1 win over Tottenham on Sunday. “He’s playing very good,” he said. “He’s improved a lot, his commitment is amazing. I am very happy with him and I want to keep him of course. I think he’s happy with us.”
Emery’s update on Luiz’s intentions, his price tag and rival interest from the likes of Liverpool and City are all factors going against Arsenal.
They will have to overcome some major hurdles in order to land Arteta’s target to play alongside Rice and Martin Odegaard in January.
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