Aston Villa fans will be ecstatic as David Ornstein shares transfer update on Douglas Luiz in last 24 hours
Aston Villa fans will be ecstatic over the news surrounding Douglas Luiz’s future at Villa Park that there is “no chance” of him leaving the club in January.
Premier League giants Arsenal have been long-term admirers of the B6 fan-favourite due to his exceptional performances throughout Unai Emery’s tenure in the West Midlands.
The Athletic journalist David Ornstein shared an update on the Brazilian on Thursday (30 November) claiming that there are some within the Arsenal camp that hold an admiration for the former Manchester City midfielder, but that view is not shared by everyone else.
However, the view at Villa Park is that there is no chance of Luiz departing the club in the January window or even next summer for that matter.
Ornstein, answering a fan’s question on whether Arsenal will try to sign Luiz in January in his live Q&A piece for The Athletic, wrote: “I don’t think so. There is admiration for him among some at Arsenal (hence them trying to sign him the summer before last) but I don’t think that view is shared by everyone. More importantly, the view at Aston Villa has been clear: no chance.”
The increased interest in Luiz from the Gunners comes after there has been concern at the Emirates around Thomas Partey, who has undergone surgery to clear up a “significant” thigh problem that has meant he’s played just once since August and could be out for a prolonged period of time.
Luiz, who could well be an attraction for any of the so-called “top six” has been in scintillating form this season, having scored six goals and laid on four assists in 21 appearances [Transfermarkt] to help his side up to fourth in the Premier League table at the time of writing and within a small step closer to the Europa Conference League knockout stages.
The Brazilian has started in all 13 of the Villans’ Premier League games this season as they remarkably sit just two points off league leaders and rumoured interested party Arsenal.
He is clearly looking to be more involved offensively during this campaign after registering 1.5 shots per game compared to the 0.9 he averaged last year, with his goal conversion rate rising from 18 per cent to 25 per cent [SofaScore].
The Brazilian has averaged a SofaScore rating of 7.52 in the opening few months of the season – the best average rating of any Villa player, having taken 75.8 touches per outing as he looks to get on the ball and make things happen.
He has made 1.2 key passes, laid on three big chances created and recorded a pass success rate of 89 per cent, while his impressive 93 per cent total from balls played in his own half shows that he doesn’t give too much away in potentially dangerous areas.
Considering he’s deployed deep in midfield for Emery, he still contributes heavily to the attack, ranking in the 90th percentile of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for goal-creating actions and the 81st percentile for shot-creating actions [FBRef] marking him out as one of the most complete all-rounders in his position.
It’s easy to see why Arsenal are interested in his services given he could suit Arteta’s style at the Emirates right down to a tee. However, he is Aston Villa’s prized right and probably their most important which means the Villans certainly won’t be listening to any offers whether huge for the Brazilian.
He will become a crucial component in whatever success they taste under Emery this season and beyond. Ornstein’s update certainly comes as a real sense of joy and excitement. Luiz is here to stay.
In other Aston Villa news, one academy wonder has been dealt a crushing blow to his first-team chances after a social media injury update.