Arsenal plot move for Premier League midfielder in January - Reports

Arsenal are reportedly planning to renew their interest in Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz in the upcoming winter transfer window.

Luiz, who is in the final year of his contract, joined Aston Villa from Manchester City for a fee of £12.5 million in the summer of 2019. The 24-year-old has netted seven goals and contributed eight assists in 118 appearances across all competitions for his current club.

A right-footed defensive midfielder, the Brazilian emerged as a transfer target for the Gunners earlier this summer.

The Mikel Arteta-coached outfit identified the 24-year-old as an ideal candidate to bolster their midfield depth but reportedly failed to sign him with two bids on deadline day.

After the end of the summer transfer window, Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard addressed Arsenal's pursuit of Luiz. He said (via Metro):

"We didn't want to lose a very important player and a top player so late in the window. I spoke to him face-to-face and he understood where we were at and the position the club was in."

According to The Sun, Arsenal are set to table a third offer for Luiz in January as the club are hoping to replace the injury-prone Thomas Partey in the ongoing campaign. However, the north London outfit are likely to offer £15 million for the Vasco da Gama academy graduate.

Furthermore, Arteta has had a good relationship with Luiz from their time together at the Etihad Stadium and hopes to utilize it to facilitate a transfer. Luiz, on the other hand, has fallen down the pecking order at Aston Villa, starting just two Premier League matches this season.

The Gunners, meanwhile, are spread thin in the midfield department with both Partey and Mohamed Elneny out injured. Oleksandr Zinchenko, who can operate occasionally in the center of the park, is also out on the sidelines with a calf injury. Granit Xhaka and Albert Sambi Lokonga are currently the fit midfielders in their squad.

Arsenal are currently atop the 2022-23 Premier League standings with 18 points from seven matches. The club will next face city rivals Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday (October 1).

Arsenal remain interested in Houssem Aouar

According to Fichajes, Arsenal are set to renew their interest in Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar. The club are set to face competition from Juventus, Newcastle United and Real Betis for his signature.

Aouar, 24, is in the final year of his contract at the Groupama Stadium. He has registered 40 goals and 35 assists in 216 matches for Lyon.