Fabrizio Romano confirms that Arsenal has submitted an improved swap deal offer in an attempt to hijack Juventus’ £80 million deal.
Arsenal could be tempted to hijack Juventus’ transfer swap deal for Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz.
The Gunners have been long-term admirers of the midfielder, having seen three bids rejected in the summer of 2022. Luiz then went on to sign a new long-term contract at Villa Park.
Over the last two seasons, Luiz has significantly improved his game, with his best displays coming under Unai Emery.
However, the former Arsenal boss could be forced to lose one of his marquee players due to the threat of Profit and Sustainability Rules, which is a concern for Villa this summer.
As such, despite qualifying for the Champions League, the Midlands club may need to sell, with Italian giants Juventus looking to take advantage.
According to Gianluca Di Marzio, Juventus have sent a proposal to Villa, offering €20 million (£16.9m) with Weston McKennie and Samuel Iling Junior heading to Villa Park.
With talks advancing over a deal, it is clear that Villa are open to accepting swap deals for Luiz, making it worthwhile for Arsenal to try and hijack the transfer by offering some of their own squad players.
Last season, it became evident that Mikel Arteta only really trusts about 15 members of his squad, with a number of depth options playing limited roles.
The likes of Fabio Vieira, Reiss Nelson, Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Aaron Ramsdale featured minimally last campaign, with some linked to exits this summer as a result.
Villa have plenty of attacking options, so it would be best not to include Nelson or Nketiah in a swap deal.
Considering Luiz is a midfielder, offering midfielders should be the aim, with Vieira and Smith Rowe as two options. Villa has already shown interest in the latter, making it unlikely they would turn down his services.
Vieira is another player who would likely interest those in Birmingham due to his technical abilities, with Emery capable of getting the best out of the Portugal international.
Zinchenko is another that could be moved on and would likely be a target for Villa if a deal were achievable.
Swapping all three for Luiz would not be the proposal, but these are the main names that could be offered to Villa along with a cash offer, similar to Juventus.
The only issue preventing Arsenal from signing Luiz might be Villa’s reluctance to let him join a direct domestic rival. However, the potential offer from Emirates Stadium may be too good to turn down.