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Arsenal have made a £20 million bid for Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz on transfer deadline day, according to TalkSPORT.
The Gunners are in the market to sign a new central midfielder before the window closes. They were previously linked with a move for Leicester City midfielder Youri Tielemans. However, Luiz is the one currently linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium.
According to the aforementioned source, Aston Villa have no intentions of selling Luiz to Arsenal this summer. However, the Brazilian international has entered the final year of his contract with the club. It could therefore be sensible to offload the central midfielder this summer rather than risk losing him on a free transfer next year.
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The deal seems to be moving along at a fair pace at the moment. According to Fabrizio Romano, Arsenal have already agreed personal terms with Douglas Luiz and are now only left with negotiating a deal with Aston Villa.
Mikel Arteta's side are currently in need of a new central midfielder. The Gunners are short on midfield options following injuries to Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny.
An additional midfielder could be vital for Arsenal as they prepare for a long 2022-23 season. They are set to compete in the UEFA Europa League this season and have been drawn alongside PSV Eindhoven, FC Zurich and Bodo-Glimt.
Arteta will therefore need a large enough squad to compete on two fronts. It can be difficult for the same players to regularly play on Thursdays and Sundays in the same week.
It is also worth mentioning that the fixtures will come thick and fast due to the 2022 FIFA World Cup being scheduled midway into the season.
Douglas Luiz directly scored from a corner against Arsenal in the Premier League
Aston Villa suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, August 31. Douglas Luiz was the goalscorer for Steven Gerrard's side after he scored directly off a corner kick in the second half.
Arsenal, however, had enough quality to secure their fifth consecutive victory in the Premier League. Goals from Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli were enough for the Gunners to maintain their 100% start to the new season.
They are currently top of the Premier League charts, having picked up 15 points from their first five games. Mikel Arteta's side are the only side to have won all five of their games this season.
