Arsenal are among the clubs interested in signing Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz after his stellar performances under Unai Emery this season

Douglas Luiz has already made Aston Villa’s feelings clear as Arsenal consider transfer

Douglas Luiz has already made his Aston Villa feelings clear as Arsenal considers a move to sign the Brazilian midfielder this month. Mikel Arteta is keen to add new signings to his squad, but the club’s spending in the January transfer window may be limited.

The Gunners spent over £200 million in the summer and will need to sell before they can buy in order to remain within the Financial Fair Play regulations. Thomas Partey, Eddie Nketiah, and Reiss Nelson are facing uncertain futures at the Emirates Stadium and could be sold to raise funds for new signings.

While a new striker remains a clear priority for Arsenal given their goalscoring woes of late, a midfield addition may be on the cards in the next 12 months. Partey has played just 15 minutes since August and had a procedure on a thigh injury that has kept him sidelined since October.

The Ghana international will have just 12 months left on his contract in the summer, and Arsenal is open to offers for Partey. Jorginho and Mohamed Elneny will see their deals expire at the end of the season.

There is the option to extend the former’s deal by 12 months, but Arsenal are exploring the market for the future of the base of their midfield. The Gunners previously failed in their attempt to sign Luiz from Villa, but could reignite their efforts to bring the Brazilian to the Emirates Stadium in the coming weeks and months.

With talk of a potential switch to Arsenal failing to go away, the Villa midfielder has already responded to speculation linking him with a move to join Arteta’s squad. Speaking last month, Luiz said, “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. 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.”