In a recent report, Calciomercato claimed that Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz is on the radar of Liverpool. It has been revealed that the Reds are willing to offer Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as a makeweight to sign the Brazilian midfield ace from the Villans.
Luiz’s Recent Form At Villa Park
Luiz has made a decent start to this Premier League campaign as he has put in a couple of impressive displays at the heart of Steven Gerrard’s midfield. The 24-year-old registered two goals in six matches for the West Midlands club last season across all competitions.
The Brazilian sensation has often found himself on the bench of late which explains why he is only averaging 0.4 interceptions, 0.4 clearances and 0.6 key passes per game in the Premier League. He was even excellent with his ball distribution after completing 86.6% of his attempted passes in the English top-flight (stats via whoscored).
His current contract with the Villans is set to run out at the end of this campaign. Therefore, Steven Gerrard would have to risk losing him as a free agent next summer if he fails to get a cut-price fee for him this January.
Should Aston Villa Boss Steven Gerrard Let Luiz Go This Winter?
Luiz is a solid tackler of the ball and can make some timely interceptions for his team when he is playing well on the field. He usually offers decent protection for his teammates at the back and is an accurate passer of the ball as well. Luiz is primarily a defensive midfielder but can even fill in as a box-to-box midfielder if required.
However, the Brazilian sensation is currently not a regular starter at Villa Park and would welcome the opportunity to join a top club like Liverpool next year.
With less than a year left to run in his contract with Aston Villa, Gerrard would be wise to let Luiz go for a suitable offer during the January transfer window. If the Villans can get Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the process, it makes more sense for them to do the deal as the Liverpool midfielder will definitely increase competition for places within the West Midlands club‘s match-day squad.
At 24, Luiz has his best years ahead of him. However, with his contract running out soon, the Villans would be wise to cash in on him this winter and use the money generated from his potential sale to strengthen other areas of their squad.
