Aston Villa has made it clear that star midfielder Douglas Luiz is not available for sale in the January transfer window, despite strong interest from Premier League rivals Arsenal. Luiz is considered a crucial player in Unai Emery’s system, and he expresses contentment at the club, showing no urgency to leave. While Arsenal is in contention for the Premier League title and Champions League qualification, losing Luiz to a direct rival like Arsenal would not be in Villa’s best interest, making any potential transfer unlikely.
The guys in claret and blue have had an incredible start to the 2023–24 season; after 20 games, they lead the Gunners by two points. Luiz has contributed to the Villans’ joint league-high 13 victories thus far, ranking among the top two or three players.
Though he is flattered by Arsenal’s interest, the Brazil international is committed to his current team. “I am very happy to hear the stories but I am here at Aston Villa. My focus is totally here,” Luiz stated in a December interview with Sky Sports. “I don’t spend a lot of time looking at the stories. I see them, but I don’t focus on that and I’m not looking at it every day. My head is here at Aston Villa,” Luiz added.
Emery has already discussed the circumstances as well. “Douglas is getting better and better at what he does. His level of dedication is astounding. Of course, I want to keep him as I am really happy with him. I believe he’s content with us because of his dedication to his country’s team and his incredible performances, such as the one he had today. On November 26, Emery declared, “I want him.”
Villa isn’t looking at any specific price because they don’t want to sell, but Luiz is likely worth £80 million. Transfermarkt values the 25-year-old at €60 million (£51.9 million), although he has definitely boosted that amount recently.
The best method to estimate his approximate net worth is to consider any significant moves made in the previous 12 months to other Premier League teams. Moises Caicedo went to Chelsea for £115 million, while Declan Rice went to Arsenal for £105 million. Many would contend that Luiz isn’t all that far behind that level.