Arsenal told to ‘swap’ two players to beat Liverpool, City to land ‘top target’ – ‘there’s deals to be done’ | OneFootball

Mikel Arteta offers advice to Emile Smith Rowe.

Arsenal have been told to sanction a “swap” deal involving Aston Villa and Brazil midfielder Douglas Luiz, who is reportedly Mikel Arteta’s “top target”.

Despite spending over £200m on signings in the summer, Arsenal arguably need more recruits in January to boost their Premier League title chances.

Arsenal have slipped down to fourth after losing two Premier League games in a row. They are perhaps lacking a defensive midfielder and centre-forward amid reports linking them with Luiz and Brentford’s Ivan Toney.

Luiz is loving life under Unai Emery at Aston Villa and he’s grabbed six goals and three assists in his 19 Premier League appearances.

Arsenal had a couple of bids rejected for Luiz – who has recently been linked with Liverpool and Man City – during the 2022 summer transfer window before he signed a new long-term contract.

Villa do not need to sell Luiz and it’s been claimed that they would demand as much as £110m for him in January after Fabrizio Romano described him as Arsenal’s “top target”.

“I mentioned the name of Douglas Luiz last week as the top target for Arsenal, and I can confirm guys that Arsenal really, really want and appreciate Douglas Luiz,” Romano told Caught Offside.

“He’s a player they’ve had on their list for more than two years, and Arsenal consider him the perfect midfielder for their way of playing, for his intensity and for the quality he can bring. So many different factors make him top of the list for Arsenal now.

“The problem remains that Aston Villa have no intention to let him go in January, so it’s going to be really difficult.”

Ex-Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs reckons his former club should offer Emile Smith Rowe and/or Eddie Nketiah to Aston Villa as part of a “swap” deal for Luiz.

“You can swap players, there are deals to be done there for sure,” Gibbs said on ESPN.

“There’s Emile Smith Rowe, there’s Eddie [Nketiah], there’s deals to be done there [for Douglas Luiz] in this window.”

Jermaine Pennant meanwhile has argued that Luiz is a better player than Arsenal record-signing Declan Rice.

“Any team would dream to have Rice, but there are better sixes in the Premier League at the moment,” Pennant said via talkSPORT.

“I would say Douglas Luiz of Aston Villa, I think he can do everything that Rice can do and better. I think he assists more, he chips in with goals more than Rice. Creativity wise, he’s better, flair is better, he can put in a tackle just like Rice, break up play just like Rice.

“So I think if someone said to me you can have Douglas Luiz for £60m or Declan Rice for £100m, easy every day of the week, Douglas Luiz.”

Arsenal Douglas Luiz