Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz not in negotiations with AC Milan – Fabrizio Romano
Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz is not speaking to AC Milan and is also not close to a move to Roma, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Luiz arrived at Villa Park in 2019 from Manchester City and has impressed in his three seasons at the club, leading to links away from Villa.
Speaking on the Que Golazo podcast, Romano dismissed talk that he was close to moving to Italy, following rumours that the Brazilian’s agent met with AC Milan.
“Yesterday there were some rumours that AC Milan, but I’m told that AC Milan are not negotiating for Douglas Luiz at the moment,” he said.
“There are also rumours about Roma, he is a Jose Mourinho kind of player, but I’m told that it is not something that Roma are discussing with his agent.”
Romano described the situation as “quiet”, but there is still a strong possibility that he will leave the club as he nears the end of his contract.
How important is Luiz to Villa?
Luiz has enjoyed a mixed reception from fans during his time at the club, with fan opinion being split right down the middle on him.
Some believe that he is a liability due to his reckless tackling and high numbers of bookings, while others think he is invaluable to the way Villa play.
Since arriving at Villa Park, Luiz has largely competed with Marvelous Nakamba for a defensive midfield berth.
Comparing Luiz with the Zimbabwean star, it is clear that Luiz is unsuited for the role Villa want him to play. The Brazilian grabbed five goal contributions last season, while Nakamba failed to have as much as a shot.
According to FBRef, Luiz also takes more touches per 90 minutes, performs more carries and progresses the ball further.
Meanwhile, Nakamba is much stronger defensively and wins more tackles, presses more and tackles more dribblers per 90 minutes.
Nakamba is often criticised for his passing, but his pass completion is just as good as Luiz with both players having an 85% completion rate.
However, Luiz does attempt more passes per 90 and more of those are forward balls, with Luiz progressing the ball 70 yards further per 90 minutes.
While Luiz is unsuited for defensive midfield, there are clear signs with his willingness to get forward and eye for a pass that he could be used effectively further up the pitch.
With Boubacar Kamara arriving, Villa have the freedom to use Luiz higher should he stay where he could be invaluable.
In other Aston Villa news, former Villa assistant Michael Beale is set to plug his connections at Villa in his new role at QPR.