Aston Villa is set to keep Brazilian international Douglas Luiz under the command of Steven Gerrard at Villa Park after the 24-year-old has closed on a fresh three-year deal in Birmingham.
Per reports from the Daily Mail’s chief football reporter Sami Mokbel, Luiz has maneuvered his way into new terms with Villa after becoming a key piece under Gerrard last season amid a hopeful spell of progression of the club under the former Liverpool great.
Douglas Luiz is set to sign a new three-year deal at Aston Villa. Story here: https://t.co/QRA9w115ZL
— Sami Mokbel (@SamiMokbel81_DM) August 10, 2022
The Rio de Janeiro has made 112 appearances for Aston Villa over the last three seasons since his arrival from La Liga outfit Girona FC in the summer of 2019, and has remained a key feature of the senior setup even before Gerrard’s arrival, but seemed to elevate his game even further under the English manager.
With just a year left on his current terms, there was a growing fear that he could walk away from the club next summer on a free transfer, with links to Arsenal having been previously reported last season with the Gunners said to be eyeing him up for the current summer window, which looks unlikely to materialize given their intensive interest in Leicester’s Youri Tielemans.
There would certainly be other suitors for Luiz, however, and Villa will do well to secure him for another three seasons especially after the club expertly signed French starlet Boubacar Kamara on a free transfer this summer after the 22-year-old French international and Olympique de Marseille academy product walked away from southern France after a subline 2021-22 Ligue 1 campaign.
The pair of holding midfielders may now potentially be deployed together in Gerrard’s preferred 4-3-3 formation, with Kamara receiving his competitive debut at the weekend in the club’s 2-0 away loss to Bournemouth, with Luiz coming off the bench during proceedings.
