The transfer of Douglas Luiz to Arsenal appears to be an ideal solution as Edu seeks to replace Thomas Partey.
Douglas Luiz has been identified as a potential replacement for Thomas Partey, an Arsenal player, at Aston Villa. Football.london provides an explanation for this speculation.
The January transfer window is just seven weeks away, and Arsenal and other Premier League clubs are beginning to prepare for it. Over the summer, Arteta’s side invested heavily in the summer transfer window, spending over £200million on permanent signings such as Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber. On loan, David Raya joined the Emirates Stadium, with the club having the option to purchase the Spanish international. However, this influx of talent has not stopped speculation surrounding further signings in January, with several central midfielders being mentioned as potential targets. In the meantime, Arsenal star Thomas Partey has been ruled out for the rest of the year due to an injury, and Soccer.london has learned that he has since undergone surgery. It is likely that Partey will not play a major role again until February 2024, with Ghana’s participation in the AFCON next year likely to keep him out of action.
Football.london has learned that Arsenal are interested in signing Real Sociedad forward Martin Zubimendi. The player has a release clause of €60million[52million] in his contract, but it is believed that he is content with his current situation and is not interested in a January transfer.
Another player who has been the subject of speculation in recent weeks is Douglas Luiz of Aston Villa. The Brazilian international is considered to be the “perfect” midfielder, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Roma, while his numerous attributes make him “at the top” of Arteta’s and Edu’s list of targets.
Luiz is a versatile ball carrier who can play at either number six or eight, possessing a unique combination of intelligent reading and the ability to move the ball upfield in the middle of the field. However, off the field, Luiz offers something that could make him an excellent replacement for Partey in terms of durability.
Luiz has not missed a single match since joining Villa from Atletico Madrid in summer 2019, according to Transfermarkt. This is an area in which Partey has had difficulty since joining the club from Atletico Madrid almost three years ago. During that time, the experienced midfielder has missed 51 matches, making it difficult to rely on him to stay fit throughout the season.
It is no surprise that Luiz’s impressive fitness record could be one of the reasons Arsenal are interested in the player, with supporters becoming increasingly exasperated with Partey’s lack of consistency.
