(Football news) Aston Villa have announced midfielder Douglas Luiz’s contract extension. The Brazilian's previous contract was valid until 2023 but he has now signed a long term contract which according to reports runs till 2026. In the summer, Arsenal made three bids for Luiz, all of which were rejected by Villa. The Birmingham side was risking losing him for a minimal fee in January or for free next summer but now the extension is great news. It means that even if Luiz does end up leaving next year, Villa will get a good fee for him. The news is a big blow to Mikel Arteta and Arsenal who really wanted the midfielder at the Emirates.
Arsenal have a midfield duo of Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka but they don't have much depth in that area of the pitch. Luiz at the age of 24 would have been a perfect signing for Arsenal to bolster their midfield. It is unlikely that the Gunners will go for Luiz again any time soon. They will shift their focus to other targets like Youri Tielemans who has also been linked with a move to North London. Aston Villa will not be concerned about the Luiz situation now as their major worry will be their league position. Villa are currently just 3 points of relegation in 16th spot and there is a lot of pressure on Steven Gerrard. Luiz has had a decent start to the season but Villa will be expecting more from him.
The extension proves that Luiz is committed to the club and his performances will become better eventually. Luiz had joined Villa in 2019 from Manchester City in search of game time for €16.8M. Since then he has been an integral part of the Villa set up. Villa started negotiating a new contract after a failed move to Arsenal in the summer and they have become successful. The defensive midfielder is arguably the most important player in the Villa team as he runs their engine. Gerrard's time at Villa may be limited but as long as Luiz is fit, he will be one of the first names on the team sheet for any manager.
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