Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz has revealed his belief that his decision to stay has been justified, and hailed the impact of Unai Emery.
As per the Guardian, the 25-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Arsenal in September last year, with the report noting that three bids were rejected by Villa before Luiz eventually went on to sign a new contract and commit his future to us until June 2026.
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Particularly after the arrival of Emery, the Brazilian international excelled in a more advanced midfield role with freedom to dictate and showcase his technical quality rather than be too burdened by defensive duties, and he has now established himself as a pivotal figure in our side.
With his future now secured too, it’s hoped that Luiz has a big role to play in the coming years as we look to become increasingly competitive and challenge for silverware, and it’s clear that he’s happy with his decision to ultimately stay with us, and feels that given his personal form last year, that choice has been justified.
“Villa is a great club, the decision I made was the right one, I had a great season,” he told Placar. “The arrival of Unai [Emery] helped a lot in my evolution. It was my best season and I’m very happy with it.
“Certainly returning to the national team is my biggest goal. So my goal is this, to start the season well, have a good pre-season and maintain my level. I’m living my best professional moment, I’m in the best league in the world, and my goal, not just for now, but for the rest of my life, is to continue at this level.”
With the addition of Youri Tielemans this summer, Luiz will face more competition for his place moving forward, and along with the likes of John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara and Jacob Ramsey, our midfield is certainly looking a lot stronger now and is a core strength under Emery.
The Villa boss has consistently demanded from his players more control of games and to dominate possession, and particularly with Luiz’s ability to do that, he has proven to be a vital figure in our progression under the Spanish tactician thus far.
Still only 25, Luiz has a long way to go in his career still and a lot more improvement to make. In turn, it will hopefully be an enjoyable process to watch from a Villa fan perspective, and we’ll undoubtedly continue to strengthen around him now too, to ensure we continue to move in the right direction.
