A worrying Aston Villa exit update has emerged regarding an “underrated” Villa Park hero, with one of the biggest clubs in Europe thought to be keen on signing him.
Aston Villa transfer news
The Villans have the funds available from NSWE to make new signings in the January transfer window, should Unai Emery see it as a good opportunity to strengthen his options. One player who has emerged as a rumoured target for Villa is Celtic star Matt O’Riley, with the Denmark international enjoying an excellent season for the Scottish Premiership outfit to date, scoring nine goals and also adding five assists in the league.
He is far from the only Villans target, however, with Atletico Madrid’s Nahuel Molina also someone who has been backed to join the Emery revolution at the club. Leeds United’s Crysencio Summerville is a potential option, too, with the Dutchman seen as someone who could add more attacking firepower to the squad.
On the flip side, there are some players who Villa will be desperate to keep hold of, seeing them as key figures for years to come, and a concerning update has dropped regarding one such individual who clearly falls into that bracket.
Barcelona want Douglas Luiz
According to a front-page news update from Spanish outlet Sport [via Sport Witness], Barcelona are interested in signing Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz in 2024, with the La Liga giants wanting to “make a massive investment” in him.
Barca’s sporting director, Deco, sees the Brazilian as an ideal player to bring in and boost their quality in the middle of the park, as he continues to enjoy an excellent season for Villa. In fact, the former Chelsea midfielder has even made a number of trips to watch Luiz in action, including against Arsenal earlier this month, as he helped his side to a memorable 1-0 victory over the much-fancied Gunners.
The report states that Monchi could demand as much €100m (£86.9m) for the midfielder’s services, however, that doesn’t seem to scare Barca, who feel they will have the funds to sign Luiz next summer.
Losing Luiz would be an enormous setback for Emery and the Villa supporters, considering what a vital figure he has become in midfield, anchoring it so impressively and forging a great understanding with Boubacar Kamara. He has been lauded by Paul Merson in the recent past, who has called him “one of the most underrated players in the league.”
While Barcelona may not quite have the pulling power they did during the height of their powers under Pep Guardiola, they are still a huge draw for many players, especially Brazilians, considering some of the legends from their country to have played for them in the past. For that reason, it is easy to imagine Luiz’s head being turned by a move to the Camp Nou, but the hope is that he sees enough in what Emery has created at Villa to remain there for the foreseeable future.
