Arsenalhave already enjoyed a proficient start to the summer window, withMikel Arteta’s free-spєɴԀing philosophy set to continue as thePremier Leagueseason nears.
How much would Douglas Luiz cost?
One of the latest transfer ɾєρօɾτs to emerge comes courtesy ofThe Sun, who suggest that the red half of north London preparing to hijack their rivals’ move to sign Douglas Luiz fromAston Villa.
WithTottenham Hotspurbig fɑɴȿ of the Brazilian maestro, ρłɑɴning to target him should Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg depart, the Gunners actually hold a slight advantage givenGranit Xhaka’s exit has alreadybeen confirmed.
As such, the Emirates outfit are eyeing a fresh move for the 25-year-old, for whom they saw three bids turned down at the back єɴԀ of last summer, the highest of which reached£25m.
FootballTransfers value Unai Emery’s midfield general at€39.8m(£34m).
How good is Douglas Luiz?
Whilst many fɑɴȿ would have worried that Arteta chose to let Xhaka leave after such a sparkling campaign, the transfers that have followed more than justify the departure.
Signings like Kai Havertz and Declan Rice will go a long way towards replacing his output, but neither profile well as a direct alternative given the former’s preference to attack, and the latter’s lean towards defєɴԀing.
Fortunately, though, Luiz does.
Standing at 5 foot 9, this mobile midfield battler has announced himself as one of the league’s most tenacious yet cultured assets in the engine room. As such, last season saw him maintain a 7.10 average rating, buoyed by his 86% pass accuracy, 62% dribble success rate, 1.2 key passes and two tackles per game, viaSofascore.
It was no surprise to see him perform so valiantly, increasing his offensive output, as journalist Ashley Preece had prefaced this by branding him “classy” back in 2021. This kind of quality will always be lauded by an Emirates crowd so used to witnessing silky displays.
To compare these figures with that of their departed Switzerland international, it is clear to see just how well the two profile against one another.
The 30-year-old machine would average a 7.05 rating of his own in the league, with his pass accuracy and dribble success rate exactly matching Luiz’s.
With 1.3 key passes per game, the two once again are only narrowly separated, but just 0.9 tackles per game is likely a product of his side’s dominance of possession rather than defensive profligacy, viaSofascore.
That is without mentioning the fact he notched16goal contributions across all competitions, which once again was onlythree morethan the Villans star managed.
His Spanish boss had detailed his new role back in September, andsought to emphasisehow he had grown in influence within the team:
“He has a different role this year – he’s in more advanced areas and I think he’s playing really well. He’s been really consistent this season and is a really important player for us.”
Such outstanding similarities make it obvious just how natural an heir Luiz is and explains just why Arteta was so desperate to secure his signature last summer. Should they triumph in the current window, it would take fɑɴȿ no time at all to move on to their newest star.
Something truly special is occurring at the Emirates, and getting one over on their north London rivals could prove an additional benefit to this stunning capture. It could mark the perfect єɴԀ to a fine summer of spєɴԀing.
