Steven Gerrard reacts to Aston Villa keeping Douglas Luiz on deadline day
Steven Gerrard has admitted that he is very pleased about Aston Villa managing to keep hold of Douglas Luiz throughout the summer transfer window.
The Brazilian was subject to a late charge from Arsenal with numerous bids being put on the table by the London club, all of which were rejected [David Ornstein].
Gerrard insisted that given those offers came so late in the window, the Villans made the choice that it wasn’t the right moment to allow Luiz to move on in his career.
Reacting to the drama on deadline day, as shared by the Birmingham Mail, Gerrard was clearly delighted with how things unfolded in the end.
“I’m very pleased, from a personal point of view,” he said.
“He is a player I rate very much. It boiled down to being a collective club decision.
“Obviously the timing, coming so late in the window, we felt it wasn’t the right decision. He continues to be an Aston Villa player.”
Brilliant.
This was always the right decision.
No club can allow one of their best players to move away on deadline day as it is far too late to even think about starting the process to bring in a replacement.
This would have left Gerrard scrambling and most likely bringing in someone who he never really wanted in the first place or it would have happened earlier in the window.
It is great news to see the owners back the manager still despite his poor start to the Premier League season, and hopefully, that partnership can give him some patience that starts to reflect in results on the pitch.
Luiz is a professional who will get his move away eventually if he wants it that badly, but for now, he has to put his game face on and get stuck into Manchester City, his former club.
The Brazilian has one of the most important roles in this one as he looks to disrupt the Champions in their engine, something that everyone tries and fails to do.
Forget the deadline day drama, all eyes are now on City and a much-needed three points.
In other Aston Villa news, Paul Merson says the club have cup finals to come with Gerrard under pressure