Arsenal desperately tried to sign Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz on deadline day, but a move failed. The Gunners made a late, final bid of £25 million to sign the Brazilian, but Villa rejected the offer and took the stance that their star was not for sale.
With injuries to Thomas Partey and Mohammed Elneny in the midfield department, Arsenal made Luiz their No. 1 target. It's left Arsenal very short in the engine room, and it remains to be seen whether a fresh bid is launched when the January transfer window opens, when Luiz will only have six months left on his Villa Park deal.
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However, if Arsenal do decide to make a winter move for Luiz, they could face serious competition. According to Italian outlet Calcio Mercato, Serie A giants Juventus also tried to sign the 24-year-old in the summer.
Juve reportedly wanted to sign Luiz as their back-up option to midfielder Leandro Paredes. AC Milan and Roma were also interested in acquiring the 24-year-old over the summer, but he stayed at Villa Park despite his long list of admirers.
A host of European clubs are likely to be interested in Luiz again in January, with the midfielder potentially available at a cheaper price given his contract situation.
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