Steven Gerrard forced to sell Douglas Luiz

Douglas Luiz has an uncertain future at Aston Villa this summer as his contract has 12 months to run without the 24-year-old being close to putting pen to paper on an extension.

Steven Gerrard has made it known that Luiz is a player Villa want to keep beyond next season, but the 42-year-old will be forced to sell as he won’t want to lose Luiz for nothing in 2023.

The Brazilian international joined the Midlands outfit on a four-year deal from Manchester City in 2019 and has gone on to make 111 appearances in all competitions, scoring five goals with eight assists.

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Luiz set Villa back £15m and earns £32.8k-per-week/£1.7m-a-year in wages, so the club will want as much of their money back as possible through his sale. With a market value of £34.2m and interest from AS Roma and AC Milan, Villa could make a profit.

But Gerrard would prefer to keep Luiz in the squad, as he’ll now have to be replaced if sold. The 24-year-old has pressured the club into making a move, as he knows they won’t want him leaving on a free transfer next year.

In other news, Aston Villa cut losses on Lovre Kalinic