Arsenal target Douglas Luiz has broken his silence following his failed move to the Emirates Stadium on transfer deadline day. The Gunners' final offer of £25 million was rejected by Aston Villa, who were adamant that their player was not for sale.
This was a surprise since the Brazilian's contract runs out next summer and with his current club striking a deal with Wolves for midfielder Leander Dendoncker, it was believed that they would be happy for Luiz to leave, although this was clearly not the case.
Speaking after all the drama, manager Steven Gerrard spoke about how he was certain that Luiz would understand the stance the club held.
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"I've got confidence that he’ll understand the situation and the club’s decision," Gerrard said. "We didn’t want to lose a very important player and a top player so late in the window.
"From a personal point of view, I very much back the club’s stance on that. I spoke to him face-to-face yesterday and he understood where we were at and the position the club was in. He very much respects the decision."
It seems that Gerrard was right in terms of Luiz being fully committed to the club if his latest comment on Instagram is to be believed, where he wrote: "100% focused here! @avfcofficial."
Arsenal are currently short in the centre of the park, following injuries sustained by Mohammed Elneny and Thomas Partey, hence why they tabled three bids for Luiz.
Sambi Lokonga is currently the only lone midfield pivot option available, who will be hoping to build on the strong performance he provided against Aston Villa on Wednesday night.
It will be interesting to see if the Gunners do attempt to strike a deal in January for Luiz, as one would expect that the money needed to acquire the former Manchester City midfielders' service will be less as he would be then approaching the final six months of his contract.
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