Exclusive: Top Arsenal target given £60m price tag which makes January deal difficult
Douglas Luiz in action for Aston Villa
Arsenal could find it difficult to land top target Douglas Luiz in the January transfer window, with Aston Villa placing a £60 million valuation on the midfielder, TEAMtalk sources can reveal.
The injury suffered by Thomas Partey has forced Arsenal to change their plans for the upcoming winter window and shift their focus to midfield reinforcements.
The Ghanaian central midfielder is reportedly facing six to eight weeks on the sidelines after undergoing a procedure on his thigh, having missed Arsenal’s last five matches.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta intends to add depth in the middle of the park as his side aim to stop Manchester City from winning their fourth Premier League title in a row.
The reports that Luiz is the top target for Arsenal are well documented as it is now common knowledge that the Gunners are big fans of the Brazilian following multiple previous failed attempts to sign him.
Aston Villa do not want to lose a key player halfway through their season, though, and with the club also playing European football, their reluctance to let a vital squad member leave makes it very difficult for Arsenal to do a deal in January.
The Brazil international signed a long-term contract last year and was rewarded with wages that made him one of the highest earners at the club, with the deal struck off the back of Arteta and his team pushing to sign Luiz in the 2022 summer window.
Aston Villa not happy with Arsenal tactics and prepared to play hard ball
Sources say it will take a bid of at least £60 million to prize Luiz away from Villa, who are adamant they will not sanction a deal unless their demands are met.
This complicates matters for Arsenal as they hope to bolster their squad by strengthening in a number of positions in the upcoming window.
Sources have also confirmed that Aston Villa bosses have been unhappy with some of the tactics employed by the 2022/23 Premier League runners-up to try to persuade the 25-year-old that he should make the move to north London.
Douglas Luiz is interested in a move to a top club and the lure of Champions League football is believed to be something he is finding it hard to ignore.
Arteta is also a manager that has impressed players within the Premier League and playing under the Spaniard is an exciting prospect to some of the country’s top talent.
There will be an attempt to complete the deal, with sources aligned that Arsenal will make a move in January, although Villa are not in desperate need of money as they have one of the league’s wealthiest owners who is ready to play hard ball over their Brazilian star.
The winter window looks set to be a busy month for both Arsenal and Aston Villa as they both compete in European competitions and are pushing for a title race and European spots respectively.
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