It’s doing the rounds again. Douglas Luiz to Arsenal. And for more reasons than one, this feels familiar for Aston Villa.
This interest is nothing new. Arsenal attempted to sign the Brazilian midfielder in summer 2022, but three deadline-day offers were rejected before Villa convinced him to sign a new long-term contract in October that year.
Though designed to give them greater leverage should Arsenal come back in a later transfer window, it was also a signal of Villa’s ambition, which at the time felt a world away with Steven Gerrard still in charge – for just one more week – when Luiz extended his stay.
Thirteen months later, Villa are flying under Unai Emery, fifth in the Premier League and enjoying a first European campaign proper since 2008-09.
Luiz has been central to this success. Named Villa’s player of the season by both players and fans last term, he has maintained this form throughout the current campaign, scoring six times and starting every Premier League game so far.
Among the first names on Emery’s teamsheet, he is the calibre of player Villa must therefore keep to maintain their Champions League aspirations – and certainly if they make it. A fool’s dream no longer, this has become a distinct possibility, especially if English clubs secure a fifth spot for next season’s competition.
Luiz is arguably even the player to build a team around, and herein lies the second reason of familiarity, as it has echoes of Jack Grealish and his eventual departure two years ago.
Villa had just finished 11th under Dean Smith, a season after narrowly avoiding relegation, when months of speculation finally materialised into a £100m transfer to Manchester City for Grealish – a clause having been placed in his contract the previous year, enticing Champions League teams to come calling.
“I couldn’t say no,” said Grealish, the lifelong Villa fan leaving the Midlands with a heavy heart but dreams of silverware.
The Treble, and his growing impact within last season’s City team, will tell you he made the right call, but nevertheless the transfer divided Villa fans, as shown by the mixture of jeers and applause he received at Villa Park in December 2021.
Grealish had after all stayed at Villa when they dropped to the Championship and was key to their Premier League return. He was both captain and talisman, but in truth he had outgrown the club, so you had to let him go, to fly the nest, and to wish him well on this big-money move. The local lad out combining with some of the world’s best players under arguably the best club coach of the modern era. He’s earned it.
That was one train of thought, anyway, but in leaving for greater heights it was a difficult pill for some supporters to swallow. After all, if you sell a player like Grealish, immensely important to the point where Villa initially seemed lost without him, then you are hardly going to climb the table and realise your ambitions of European football.
But what was done was done, and unsurprisingly Villa went initially backwards after losing Grealish, finishing 14th in 2021-22, the bounce of Gerrard’s appointment incredibly short-lived and their finish to the season essentially relegation form.
Enter Emery and the belief is back under a head coach who knows what he’s doing. The trajectory this club are heading in is plain for all to see, and rather than relying solely on Grealish, there is a far greater balance across the pitch, with Luiz himself backed in midfield by the duo who have also started every league game this season: the resurgent John McGinn and the underacknowledged – beyond Villa quarters, at least – Boubacar Kamara.
With Youri Tielemans for company, too, Villa’s midfield is in good health, but losing Luiz in January would throw a grenade on this year of progress and be nothing short of a major blow.
Expect the rumours to grow and expect Villa to play hardball. Not only will they want to keep him for the remainder of the season, they will want him to remain there long-term, and while that resolve could be put to the test, whether Arsenal have enough after spending £105m on Declan Rice remains to be seen.
A precedent has been set for midfielders, by both Arsenal and Chelsea in recent windows, so for this one to happen, it could take some offer.
