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Arsenal faced some disappointment while trying to sign Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz and it appears the Gunners have made a final decision regarding the Brazilian.
THE LOWDOWN: FAILED DEADLINE ATTEMPT
Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz and Danilo emerged as Arsenal’s target in the hours leading to the deadline day after injuries to Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny left Mikel Arteta in need of reinforcement in the middle of the park.
The Gunners approached Palmeiras for Danilo but the Brazilian club did not yield to Arsenal’s offer, and as for Luiz, who scored at the Emirates hours before the deadline day, the Gunners made no less than three offers for the 24-year-old but Villa decided not to sell.
THE LATEST: TRANSFER DECISION MADE
As per several reliable sources, Arsenal will not be going back for Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz when the window opens again. The Brazilian is in the final year of his contract and will not be tempted to sign such a player for a big fee.
Hence, a move for another Brazilian is expected when the transfer window opens. It is believed that Palmeiras star Danilo will be approached after the failed summer offer. Although Danilo, who is a tough-tackling midfielder, has an exit clause worth £85.8m, Edu and Arsenal are hopeful that Palmeiras will sell for far lower in January.
“I think we can expect Arsenal to maintain their interest in Danilo,” Jones told GiveMeSport. “They had set him as a top-tier target heading into the summer window.
“There was a temptation to try for him because of their situation. But he’s a young player in Brazil and they are content that they will lead the way for him next year anyway.”
THE VERDICT: INDIFFERENT OPINION
Mikel Arteta and Edu must have been disappointed with how business on deadline day played out. Maybe that has influenced their decision not to go for the older Brazilian. In terms of Premier League experience, Luiz has the edge over Danilo but in terms of the right fit according to Arsenal’s current recruitment strategy, the Palmeiras man has it.
Meanwhile, Arsenal will have to keep utilizing Sambi-Lokonga and Granit Xhaka in that midfield position and just hope none of them will get injured or pick up a suspension until the return of Thomas Partey at least.
