Arsenal, Man Utd deals could determine fate of Aston Villa contract rebel chased by Euro giant
Jose Mourinho’s Roma are chasing a deal to sign Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz after talks over a new contract hit a wall, per a report.
Luiz has been an integral part during both of Dean Smith’s and Steven Gerrard’s teams during their stints as the Villa manager this season.
However, the Brazilian’s long-term future in the Midlands remains under a cloud.
BirminghamLive understand that contract talks haven’t progressed in recent weeks which is causing unrest within Gerrard’s camp. The midfielder’s current deal is due to expire in 2023.
Throughout the season, The Villans have been consistently linked with defensive-midfielders. That is the area of the pitch Douglas Luiz has been covering due to the unavailability of Marvelous Nakamba.
With Aston Villa actively pursuing targets including Kalvin Phillips and Yves Bissouma, the chances of Luiz leaving are increasing. That’s despite the midfielder being a near-ever present in the side throughout the course of the season.
He has made 28 appearances so far in England’s top flight and has contributed to four goals from holding midfield. That equates to 10 percent of Villa’s goals this season.
Roma’s main priority for the summer is revamping their midfield options with the contracts of some of their key players expiring at season’s end.
Man Utd, Arsenal deals could determine Douglas Luiz fate
However, per BirminghamLive, both Manchester United’s Nemanja Matić and Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka are high on the Italian side’s radar. The signing of either of these players would nullify their interest in Luiz.
Talks that have taken place within the Birmingham-based club have also reportedly been far from smooth sailing. With each party unable to agree on the terms of an extension, an exit seems more likely than a renewal at this stage.
The midfielder is a product of the Vasco da Gama academy in Rio de Janeiro and due to the qualities he showed throughout his time there, he was snapped up by Manchester City in 2017. However, he failed to make a competitive appearance for the club.
Luiz is also only 23-years-old so will continue to develop in a positive manner.
A key quality Mourinho likes to see in his players is consistency and Luiz has that in abundance.
“Consistency has nothing to do with age,” said Mourinho (via the People’s Person). “It has to do with personality, has to do with the way you live for football, what is your priority in your life, your ambitions.”
According to WhoScored, Douglas Luiz has an average rating of 6.81 in the premier league this season. That is indicative of a player who is capable of operating at a consistently high level week in, week out.
