Arsenal have already enjoyed a fruitful summer window, yet could be set to take one huge step towards truly usurping Manchester City with another big purchase.
How much would Douglas Luiz cost?
Whilst last weekend marked the third piece of silverware for the Gunners under Mikel Arteta’s regime, there was an element of fortune about the late equaliser that led to the penalty shootout.
There are still a number of gears they can go up before they can claim they have surpassed Pep Guardiola’s outfit, with some late movements in the market sure to aid that pursuit.
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Being linked with Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz just last month showcased one such option who would bolster an already impressive side, adding some much-needed attacking impetus to the engine room.
However, having signed a new long-term contract at Villa Park back in October, FootballTransfers now value the Brazilian at €39.8m (£34m).
How good is Douglas Luiz?
To add some firepower to the midfield would not only help in their pursuit of that coveted Premier League title but also help elevate many of the squad seeking to reach new personal goals.
Bukayo Saka was the only player in the division other than Mohamed Salah to hit double figures for both goals and assists, whilst Martin Odegaard was the top-scoring midfielder too.
However, both of their efforts were somewhat overshadowed by the Cityzens, with the latter in particular losing out on many plaudits due to yet another stellar campaign from Kevin De Bruyne.
The Belgian was once again creatively mesmeric, scoring ten goals and assisting a further 31 across all competitions of the 2022/23 season.
This even led Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp to suggest:
“His football brain and IQ make him no.1 for me, and hopefully we can find a little bit more about what makes him tick because every young footballer should watch him and the way he plays in midfield.
“Right now, he's the best midfield player in the world.”
However, it is worth noting that the 32-year-old did so surrounded by far more quality, with plenty of experience at competing at the top level.
Bernardo Silva, Ilkay Gundogan and Phil Foden all combined from the midfield to aid De Bruyne’s exploits, as they boast an attacking impetus paired with relentless hard work.
There are arguably few players in the English top-flight that exemplify such a play style more than Luiz, who has shone ever since trading the Etihad for the Midlands.
Just last season saw the 25-year-old maintain a 7.10 average rating of his own, buoyed by his 12 goal contributions, 86% pass accuracy, two tackles and 1.2 key passes per game, via Sofascore.
This, paired with the fact that journalist Ashley Preece branded him an “enforcer”, paints the picture of an ideal asset to help Odegaard surpass the levels set by De Bruyne.
After all, the Norway international did post 22 goal contributions in the league, maintaining 2.1 key passes per game too. Meanwhile, his rival would post 23 goal contributions, yet saw his key passes per game rise to 3.1.
The disparity between the two is minimal, and the addition of someone as attack-minded as Luiz could be the catalyst that shifts the dynamic between the two.
He can create from deep, burst forward to score, and yet still offers balance and solidity in the midfield. All of these assets are certain to help Odegaard finally announce himself as the new best-attacking midfielder in the league.
