Where next for Douglas Luiz? AC Milan favourites but English clubs also interested

Douglas Luiz was signed by Dean Smith in 2019 following promotion back to the Premier League.

Aston Villa signed him from Manchester City and had high hopes for the Brazilian.

Three years on, and Luiz is still finding his feet in this Villa team – the biggest problem being the position he plays.

For the majority of his Villa career, Luiz has played as a holding midfielder rather than his preferred number eight role.

With 12 months remaining on his deal at the Midlands side, Luiz is not short of interest from clubs across Europe and Steven Gerrard is expected to allow the 24-year-old to leave should he receive a bid of around £30m.

Below, we look at the clubs he could join.

AC Milan

The current front-runners are Italian giants AC Milan who recently won their first Serie A title in a decade.

After issues with trying to sign Renato Sanches, Milan have turned to Luiz to replace Franck Kessie who is moving to Barcelona.

According to reports, Luiz’s agent has met with Milan officials to discuss his financial package.

Roma

Another Italian club interested in the services of Luiz is Jose Mourinho’s Roma.

The Giallorossi are looking to improve on last season and challenge for a Champions League spot after finishing sixth in Serie A and winning the Europa Conference League.

While Roma may not be able to compete with Milan in terms of Champions League football for 2022/23, the chance to work with Mourinho may be too good of an offer to turn down.

As it stands, the only issue may be the fee as £30m is deemed too high for Luiz by Mourinho and the Rome hierarchy.

Arsenal

Last summer it was reported that Mikel Arteta wanted to sign the Brazilian international.

The Gunners agonisingly missed out on a Champions League spot last season despite spending the majority of the campaign inside the top four.

Youri Tielemans was a priority for Arteta at the start of the summer window but speculation has cooled and it now seems like the Spaniard is looking elsewhere and Luiz could be a realistic target.

Tottenham

Antonio Conte has been given a transfer budget of up to £150m this summer and he is looking to spend every pound of it on strengthening his side.

The Italian guided Tottenham to fourth spot and has already been busy in the market, signing highly-rated Yves Bissouma from Brighton for £25m.

With extra games next season, Spurs will need a good amount of depth in the squad and Luiz is a player Conte admires.

One problem would be playing time for Luiz with a regular slot in the first team not guaranteed.

Newcastle United

Eddie Howe has already signed one player from Villa in Matty Targett and with the deep pockets of the Saudi owners at Newcastle, we expect some major signings to take place over the summer.

In January, the Athletic claimed Luiz was a target for the Magpies although Villa priced them out with a £50m price tag.

He remains on their radar and his experience of playing in the Premier League could be a big factor in placing a bid.