Initially, Gooners thought that, besides Ivan Toney, Douglas Luiz was Arsenal’s main transfer target this winter.
But the Gunners probably won’t sign the Brazilian international this winter as they, as per multiple reports, are putting all of their efforts into signing Everton’s Amadou Onana.
Even if Onana joins, thanks to Paul Merson, they have a good reason not to give up on their ambitions to sign Luiz and try to get him in the summer.
In a rant about why his former club shouldn’t give up on ever signing him (Luiz), Merson claims that he has never thought too little of Aston Villa’s middle engine. He sees him as a versatile midfielder who can both defend and score goals. He also says that the former Manchester City player is now on the same level as Rodri and Declan Rice in terms of ability. He then says that the Brazilian is the future of the middle for the Brazil Selecao and that it’s great that people are starting to see how great he is.
“I’ve been on about the Aston Villa man for god knows how long, so people know I’ve always been a huge fan of him,” Merson told Sportskeeda.
“When Arsenal wanted to sign him a year ago, people didn’t really rate him too highly, but now everyone can see what he’s all about as he’s been absolutely ripping it up for Aston Villa this season.
“He can sit as a holding midfielder and mop things up for his team, but he also gets in the box and scores goals, as we’ve seen so often this season.
“He’s quite well-rounded and still very underrated, but in the 2023–24 campaign, he has started getting his fair share of recognition.
“People wouldn’t put him in the same breath as Declan Rice or Rodri, but based on their performances this season, I’d certainly put Luiz up there with the pair.
“With Casemiro and Fabinho past their best in recent seasons, the ex-Manchester City midfielder could also become a key player for Brazil in the years ahead.”
Imagine Martin Odegaard, Douglas Luiz, and Declan Rice in midfield, and tell me why that wouldn’t be the best midfield ever… Could we see it assembled together in the summer?
We’ll have to wait and see. For now, let’s look forward to the news that Amadou Onana is joining Arsenal from Everton.
Daniel O
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Luiz is a great player but what the badly researched Merson and Arsenal fans fail to understand is that it is Bouba kamara who makes Luiz tick, Kamara is simply the best CDM in the country he reads the game beautifully and protects the back four, breaks up play and allows Luiz, Mcginn, Tielemens and Ramsay to play-btw that aforementioned midfield 5 cost £17.5 million quid, now that is recruitment for you!!!
I prefer Kamara to Luis who I feel is overated.
For me he is not on the same level as rice or Rodri. I’ve watch some villa games this season and he’s never stood out like a rice for us this term or ant west ham or an caicedo when he was playing in brightons midfield or odegaard, some games this season he was unplayable! He also heard of our interest but signed a new contract knowing it would be more expensive, difficult to get him. (Don’t blame him for signing) On Brazilians give me paquata or guimires instead. I’d take onana over him.
Who does Arteta listen to?? COULD ANYONE WHO KNOWS PLEASE VOLUNTEER THE INFORMATION.
Merson is clearly massively overhyping a merely good but not great player.
I have watched Luiz many times this season , albeit onTV, and see no similarity whatsoever in sheer quality to either Rice or Rodri.
Miles apart and far lesser than both of those! Silly, over excitable Merson!