According to an Italian source, Steven Gerrard’s recent comments on the future of Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz have given Jose Mourinho’s side the “green light” to make a concrete move for the 23-year-old.
Luiz has been a crucial player for the Villans this campaign, appearing in 26 of their 30 Premier League fixtures. However, his contract at Villa Park is set to expire at the end of next season, and as of yet, there has been no indication he will put pen to paper on a new deal any time soon.
Will Villa sell Luiz?
Yes
No
Gerrard was recently asked about the Brazil international’s future, responding: “He’s got 12 months left. That’s where we’re at. We haven’t analysed that individual’s situation in isolation, if you like.
“He’s a very good player who’s been playing the majority of the games. He’s a player we rate very much.
“All of the individuals, we’ll speak about from now until the end of the season and we’ll deal with each case when needs be, but not right now.
“For us, to take this where we want to take it, where the ambitions are, we want all of our remaining players to stay but, at the same time, we’ve got to respect that everyone’s different i.e. Phil’s on loan, i.e. Dougie’s got a year left, i.e. one or two might be close to signing new deals.”
This appears to have given hope to Roma, and it is stated that the Midlands outfit remain interested in keeping Luiz.
What would be the potential consequences of Villa losing the former Manchester City man? Read on to find out.
A hole in the middle of the park
Luiz’s departure would undoubtedly leave a hole in the middle of the park. Following Villa’s return to the Premier League, he has been a key player, missing only eight top-flight matches across the last two full campaigns. Luiz ranks highly in terms of average tackles and interceptions per game amongst Villa’s squad this term, while only two players to have started at least 10 league games have bettered his 85.6% pass completion rate.
While he offers little goal threat, managing just one strike in all competitions this term, only Danny Ings and Emiliano Buendia have managed more assists for Steven Gerrard’s side in the league. A market value of £31.5m could suggest Villa are capable of receiving a competitive fee for his services if he does move on in the summer, but replacing him would be an unenviable task for the club’s hierarchy.
Chance for Chukwuemeka
One man’s loss is another man’s gain, and while Gerrard would clearly rather keep Luiz at the club, his exit could well open the door for a fringe player to make their mark. Although youngster Jacob Ramsey has developed into a regular first-team starter, Carney Chukwuemeka remains on the periphery of the starting XI, having been included from the beginning in just one Premier League game this season.
Praise for the 18-year-old has been high, with Villa chief executive Christian Purslow calling him the “best 16-year-old in England” back in 2019. Even at his tender age, he has featured regularly as part of Gerrard’s matchday squads, and a big future awaits him. While there is no guarantee he would be the first player to benefit from a Luiz transfer, the Brazilian would be one less obstacle in Chukwuemeka’s way.
TIF Verdict…
Ultimately, Gerrard will be eager to keep Luiz where he is. His age, pedigree and value are all reasons why Purslow and co should be doing all they can to convince their man to extend his stay with Villa.
Perhaps an increased pay package could sweeten a deal. Luiz currently earns £52,000 a week, less than 12 of his teammates. Given how important Luiz is to the club, he surely deserves to be remunerated as such.