Tottenham Hotspur are considering a move for Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz to potentially replace Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg in the summer window, reports The Guardian.
Spurs are at risk of losing their star defensive midfielder, who is keen on a move to Atletico Madrid due to his desire to play in the UEFA Champions League – as per the Daily Mail.
Spurs are ready to sell him for ‘the right price’ and have started their hunt for potential replacements. They feel that the 27-year-old Brazilian has all the right attributes to fill in for the Danish midfielder in their defensive midfield role.
They could, although, face potential obstacles in getting this deal over the line.
The Sun claims that Arsenal are aiming to hijack their move for the Aston Villa star. Even though the Gunners recently completed a £105 million transfer of Declan Rice, they are aiming to be a thorn in the side of their rivals and make a move for Luiz.
The Gunners were keen on signing him last year, as per ESPN, and even had three separate offers rejected by Villa in the 2022 summer window. They appear to have reignited their interest soon after Spurs started getting linked with him.
The Lilywhites now must go head-to-head with their arch-rivals to get a deal over the line. Luiz, who has proudly spoken about his humble origins from Brazil’s favela ‘slum’ is considered as one of the toughest defensive midfielders in the Premier League.
The 27-year-old midfielder was hailed as ‘outstanding’ by ex-Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor last year for becoming an integral part of their success.
Luiz enjoyed a pretty solid season under Unai Emery in the 2023/24 campaign, scoring six goals and providing as many assists in 37 appearances from a deeper midfield role to help them secure European football for next season.
The problem for Spurs is that not only does Arsenal’s arrival in this pursuit deal a potential blow to their chances, but signing Luiz from Villa right now can be tough.
He’s a regular member of the starting XI and signed a long-term contract in October 2022. The Lilywhites will probably have to make a huge offer to pry him away from the Villans and bolster their midfield under Ange Postecoglou.
