Aston Villa given £26m asking price for long-admired Douglas Luiz replacement
Aston Villa’s midfield has only just started to recover from the loss of Douglas Luiz.
Juventus signed Luiz from Villa last summer, coming off the back of the Brazilian’s sensational 2023-24 campaign at B6.
The 27-year-old has since come back to the Premier League on loan and is struggling for game time with Nottingham Forest.
Aston Villa have enjoyed fine performances from Boubacar Kamara in recent times, with Amadou Onana returning to form.
The Villans have been damaged by Luiz‘s departure, but they may have finally found their long-term replacement in a teenage sensation that Emery has watched for a while.
Aston Villa eye up Christos Mouzakitis for potential January move
Aston Villa were interested in Olympiacos’ Christos Mouzakitis earlier this year, but a move failed to materialise.
Internal figures at Villa Park are clearly convinced that the 18-year-old is the next big thing, as interest has been rekindled ahead of the January transfer window.
His performances from defensive midfield prove why he could be the long-awaited Luiz replacement.
| Games | Goals | Assists |
| 55 | 2 | 5 |
The Greek midfielder averages 1.39 tackles per game and creates 1.26 chances per 90 in the Super League.
To put that into perspective, Luiz created 1.59 chances per match in the Premier League during his final year with Villa, and won 1.74 tackles every game.
He also averages a sensational 81.8 per cent dribble success rate and looks to be a midfielder who can excel on both sides of the game, just like Luiz did.
As relayed by Total Villa, Italian outlet Tutto Sport has reported that Aston Villa are interested in Mouzakitis, with his side placing a £26.3m asking price for his services.
He would certainly add a perfect blend of youth to Emery’s midfield.
Mouzakitis offers Aston Villa perfect midfield balance, here’s why
Kamara and Onana are typical hard-tackling midfielders who are limited with the ball at their feet in the final third.
Villa are on an impressive run of form at the moment, and teams will most likely begin to sit back against Emery’s men.
This is where Mouzakitis’ qualities could prove beneficial. He has taken 15 shots for Olympiacos in the league this season, with 11 of them coming from outside the box.
The Greek star has true ball-striking ability, which is much better than what Kamara and Onana currently offer Villa.
The player born on Christmas Day could be a belated Christmas present for the Villans, and one they have needed for a long time.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Aston Villa news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @villanews247