Arsenal identify number one transfer target from top-four rivals: report

By Tom Hancock
published

Arsenal wanted to sign the player in question last year – will they now be able to get a deal over the line?

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta looks on prior to the Premier League match between Brentford FC and Arsenal FC at Gtech Community Stadium on November 25, 2023 in Brentford, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Arsenal could look to raid another of the Premier League's top four, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

The Gunners appear to have earmarked their priority midfield target – and it's someone they have tried to sign before. Manager Mikel Arteta has a history of keeping tabs on former targets – not least David Raya, who he tried to sign in his first transfer window, only to return to finally capture over the summer. 

Falling short with previous attempts to bring in a Premier League midfielder does not seem to have deterred the North Londoners from trying again, either.

Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya celebrates after Bukayo Saka scored their sides first goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Tottenham Hotspur at Emirates Stadium on September 24, 2023 in London, England.

Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya was a long-term target (Image credit: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Romano claims that Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz is 'top of [Arsenal's] midfield list' – but that Villa have no intention of selling the 25-year-old Brazilian international – who is valued at around £48m by Transfermarkt.

Manager Unai Emery certainly doesn't want to lose him. Speaking after his side's 2-1 win at Tottenham on Sunday took them fourth in the Premier League table, the former Gunners boss said:

"He is a very important player but is also very happy here, so of course we want to keep him."

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 26: Douglas Luiz of Aston Villa celebrates after the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on November 26, 2023 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Nigel French/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)

Arsenal tried to sign Douglas Luiz from Aston Villa last year (Image credit: Getty Images)

Capped 11 times by Brazil, Douglas Luiz joined Villa from Manchester City for £15m in the summer of 2019 – having never made an appearance for Pep Guardiola's side due to being denied a work permit.

He has gone on to make 170 appearances for the Birmingham side – 152 of which have come in the Premier League, where he has established himself as one of the best box-to-box midfielders in Europe.

This season has also seen the former Vasco da Gama player continue to hone his goal threat: having found the net a career-high seven times in all competitions last term, he has already bagged six goals in 19 outings in 2023/24 – including a brace in last month's 4-1 win over West Ham.

More Arsenal stories

Arsenal have reportedly made one of Europe's best strikers their top summer transfer target.

The Gunners are also said to be among a host of top clubs chasing a Brazilian wonderkid compared to Lionel Messi.

But the North London club's January transfer plans could be impacted by Financial Fair Play (FFP).

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Tom Hancock

Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for The Analyst and When Saturday Comes, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...