Arsenal could have signed a ‘game changer’ if they had been successful in their pursuit of Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz in the summer transfer window, according to journalist Paul Brown. Mikel Arteta oversaw a busy few months of business at the Emirates, as over £100 million was spent on new recruits, but one failure may come back to bite them.
Arsenal launched a pursuit of the Villa midfielder on deadline day, submitting an opening offer of £20 million, with the 24-year-old having entered the final year of his contract, according to The Telegraph.
However, two bids later, the Gunners gave up, with their final £25 million submission also being rejected by the West Midlands giants.
According to The Athletic, the decision to move for Luiz was made after Mohamed Elneny suffered an injury against Fulham that previous weekend.