Aston Villa ‘eye up’ Premier League forgotten man amid Douglas Luiz Arsenal rumours

Aston Villa are reportedly targeting a move for a Premier League star amid rumours surrounding midfielder Douglas Luiz.

It has been a brilliant season so far for Villa under the guidance of Unai Emery.

They are currently third in the Premier League table with 42 points, three points behind leaders Liverpool.

Villa are in a strong position to mount a sustained challenge at securing Champions League football for next season.

With the January transfer window in full swing, Villa have been linked with a move for Arsenal’s Emile Smith Rowe.

According to talkSPORT’s Alex Crook, the Gunners are keeping tabs on the midfielder as he continues to struggle for regular game time under Mikel Arteta.

This comes as rumours surrounding Luiz’s future continue to swirl around.

Brazilian midfielder Luiz has been linked with a move to Arsenal, with the Gunners previously trying to lure the Villa man away back in 2022.

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Back then, it was reported that Villa rejected a bid worth £25 million for Luiz.

Now, having played a huge role in Villa’s season, he has been valued at €60 million by Transfermarkt.

Last month, Luiz said to Sky Sports: “I am very happy to hear the stories but I am here at Aston Villa. My focus is totally here. 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.

“Aston Villa is a club that opened its doors to me when I came to England, so I have a lot of affection and a lot of love for it.”

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He continued: “Unai, honestly, is an incredible manager. Since he arrived here, he has changed the history of the club. Aston Villa is a very big club in England, but things weren't going so well. Unai has changed it. Now, people respect the club and the players more.

“Last week, we had an argument, but a good kind of argument, because he demands a lot from me when I'm on the pitch. Sometimes my head isn't totally right and I say something back. We end up arguing but afterwards we talk and everything is OK.”