Arsenal Miss Out on £42m Long-Term Target in Transfer Setback

Arsenal‘s hopes of signing Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz have come to an end after the player completed a move to Juventus on Sunday.

Despite having a £25 million bid rejected earlier by Aston Villa, the Gunners are no longer in the race for the impressive 26-year-old midfielder.

Douglas Luiz Joins Juventus

Douglas Luiz has signed a five-year deal with Juventus, leaving Villa Park for a transfer fee of €50 million (£42.35 million).

The Brazilian midfielder will join the Serie A giants, marking a significant transfer blow to Arsenal, who had been heavily linked with the player.

Mikel Arteta’s side had been considered frontrunners in the Premier League to secure Luiz’s services.

Arsenal’s interest in the defensive midfielder was well-documented, with a £25 million offer being turned down by Aston Villa in 2022.

Italian clubs, including AC Milan, also showed interest in Luiz.

Aston Villa’s Financial Gain

Aston Villa, under pressure to raise funds to comply with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules, have made a substantial profit from Luiz’s transfer.

Villa originally signed Luiz from Manchester City for just £15 million in 2019.

His sale to Juventus represents a significant financial gain for the Midlands club.

Aston Villa’s Official Statement

Villa released an official statement confirming the transfer:

“Aston Villa can confirm that Douglas Luiz has joined Juventus. After starting his career with Vasco da Gama in his native Brazil, the midfielder signed for Villa in the summer of 2019. He went on to spend five seasons in claret and blue, helping the club qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League and UEFA Champions League in consecutive seasons. At the end of the 2022/23 campaign, he was also voted the club’s Players’ Player and Supporters’ Player of the Season.

“Luiz made his senior international debut for Brazil during his time at Villa Park, winning a gold medal with his country at the Tokyo Olympic Games. He departs Villa having racked up over 150 appearances for the club.”

In a video shared online by Juventus, Luiz expressed his excitement about joining the club: “I’m really happy to be a Bianconero. I can’t wait to play in the Allianz Stadium. See you soon and Forza Juve!”