Arsenal to launch £20m bid for Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz as Hector Bellerin prepares to join Barcelona – reports

Arsenal are eyeing a £20 million deadline day bid for Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz, according to reports, while Hector Bellerin looks set for a Barcelona homecoming.

Brazil international Luiz is out of contract at the end of the season and Villa boss Steven Gerrard admitted on Wednesday that the player’s future was out of his control.

Multiple outlets have reported Arsenal’s interest, but Villa are determined not to sell one of their key players.

The two clubs faced off in the Premier League on Wednesday night, when Luiz scored direct from a corner at the Emirates in a 2-1 defeat for Gerrard’s side.

The under-pressure Villa boss was asked about Luiz’s future after the game and said: “I am not in control of that.”

“We are not in a position where we need to lose our top players but at the same time he has a year to go.

“It is one of those touchy situations where the club has to do what is best for the club, not necessarily what is best for me.”

Meanwhile, reports in Spain say that Bellerin has spoken to the Arsenal hierarchy and manager Mikel Arteta to warn them that he will soon receive an offer from Barcelona.

The north London club has agreed to terminate the right-back’s contract a year early to allow him to join the Catalans on a free transfer.

It would mark a homecoming for the former Barca youth player, who left Camp Nou to join the Gunners as a teenager in 2011.

Bellerin has been on the Gunners’ books ever since, making 239 appearances for the club, but spent last season on loan at Real Betis.

Arsenal’s transfer target Luiz joined Villa from Manchester City in July 2019, penning a deal until the summer of 2023.

The 24-year-old hasn’t agreed to an extension to that deal, and the Gunners are now looking to take advantage of the situation after losing central midfielders Mohamed Elneny and Thomas Partey to injury early in the season.

The nine-time Brazil international has made 115 appearances during his time at Villa Park, scoring six goals and providing eight assists.

He was part of the Selecao squad when Brazil finished as runners-up at the Copa America last summer but has since lost his place, and will be hoping to catch manager Tite’s attention ahead of the World Cup in November.

Arsenal have brought in five players so far this summer: Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Matt Turner, Marquinhos and Fabio Vieira.

Mikel Arteta’s side have got off to a dream start in the Premier League, winning all five of their matches so far to go top of the table.

They travel to face Manchester United at Old Trafford next on Sunday, before kicking off their Europa League campaign away to FC Zurich.