Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz’s future at the club is reportedly in doubt as it has been suggested there is uncertainty over whether or not he will sign a new contract this summer.
The 23-year-old has established himself as a key figure for Villa since joining us in 2019, as he has since gone on to make 95 appearances for the club across all competitions.
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There is no doubt that he adds a lot of quality to the side, but with ongoing speculation of Villa’s desire to sign a defensive midfielder, it remains to be seen whether or not his place in the side will come under threat.
As per the Express and Star, Steven Gerrard confirmed in his press conference this week that a bid was made for Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma in January, and the door was seemingly left open to return to that pursuit in the summer, or perhaps to consider a similar profile of player.
That would suggest it is an area in which Villa believe that they can improve, and ultimately that would add competition for Luiz, and arguably as he isn’t a natural fit for that No.6 role given the defensive attributes needed to play there to a high level, it does suggest that there could be a reshuffle.
While his current contract runs until 2023, there is seemingly now doubts over whether or not he’ll put pen to paper on a new deal to extend his stay at Villa.
As per Fabrizio Romano in his ‘Here We Go’ podcast, he has stated: “Douglas Luiz is one to watch in the summer. I’m not convinced he will extend his contract with Aston Villa, so he could be a big name on the market this summer.”
Time will tell how the situation plays out, but ultimately for the balance of the side and to make us a harder team to beat to compliment the attacking quality we now have in the side, Villa should arguably give serious consideration to perhaps moving Luiz on if a new contract can’t be agreed, and that in turn paves the way for a Bissouma or the like to replace him.
“Douglas Luiz is one to watch in the summer. I’m not convinced he will extend his contract with Aston Villa, so he could be a big name on the market this summer.”
[via @FabrizioRomano]
Thoughts on this one?#avfc #UTV
— Talk Villa (@thetalkvilla) February 10, 2022