Alan Hutton: Big call for Aston Villa to turn down Douglas Luiz bid
We’re delighted to welcome former Aston Villa full-back Alan Hutton as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Villa Park…
Alan Hutton has said it was a big call by Aston Villa to turn down Arsenal’s deadline day bid for Douglas Luiz due to his contract situation at the club.
Sky Sports reported (2 September) that Villa rejected a third bid of £25million for the Brazilian midfielder with a number of clubs eying the 24-year-old.
Hutton feels it was a bold decision to turn down that kind of money for a player in the last year of his current deal at the club.
“It is a big call and it’s a lot of money for someone coming into the last year of their contract,” Hutton exclusively told Villa News.
“I think he’s a great player and I know he’s been a little bit in and out of the team but I think he does show his quality and with Kamara being there it allows him to play with a bit more freedom, which I think he enjoys.
“I would like him to sign a new deal and I am pretty sure Villa will be desperate to tie him down because I think he plays a key part, especially in recent weeks with his goals from corners, to do two of them is unheard of.
“I hope that they’re trying to tie him down and whether he wants to we will have to wait and see because he can obviously speak to whoever he wants come January.”
It’s understood that Chelsea, Liverpool and Atletico Madrid were all monitoring Luiz’s situation with the 24-year-old eager to play Champions League football.
Luiz featured as a 73rd-minute substitute for Villa against Arsenal in their 2-1 loss to the Gunners at the Emirates on 31 August.
The Brazilian will be the centre of transfer speculation come January, when he will be free to talk to other clubs over his next move.
In other Aston Villa news, Aston Villa attacker Philippe Coutinho has been left out of the Brazil squad