Liverpool 'planning' to move in for £100m-rated midfielder & Arsenal 'target' after summer 'talks'

Liverpool are putting plans in place to make a move for Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz in the summer but face competition from Arsenal and Barcelona, according to a report.

Luiz has been heavily linked with Arsenal as they seek an ideal midfield partner for £105m summer signing Declan Rice, but any possible move for the Brazilian is unlikely this month as Villa sit inside the Champions League places and just two points behind Liverpool at the top of the league.

Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider has reported Liverpool are planning a summer move for the player, with La Liga giants Barca also primed to join the battle for the midfielder. Arsenal attempted to sign the midfielder in the summer of 2022, with the highest offer coming in at £25m but those bids were rejected by Villa.

Luiz signed a new deal with Villa in October 2022, with that contract not set to expire until the summer of 2026. However, despite the interest in Luiz, reports in the autumn claimed Villa believe the player to be worth around £100m, and any possible transfer will not come cheap. Villa have enjoyed an impressive campaign so far under Unai Emery, and qualification for the Champions League would give the Birmingham-based club a boost in their bid to hold onto Luiz.

Liverpool invested heavily in their midfield during the most recent summer window, with Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endō & Ryan Gravenberch all arriving at Anfield. However, Endō - who is currently on international duty with Japan - is the only specialist defensive midfielder from that quartet. Stefan Bajčetić can also play in the position but has struggled with injuries for close to 12 months.

Luiz is enjoying an impressive season for Villa, with 13 goal contributions - seven goals and six assists - in all competitions this season. He arrived in the midlands from Manchester City in 2019 and has gone on to make 181 appearances for Villa. Liverpool reportedly held internal talks during the summer about the midfielder, and now look set to make their move 12 months on.