‘Absolutely ripping it’… Paul Merson wowed by £15m midfielder Arsenal staff really like

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Paul Merson has given his verdict on Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz amid speculation linking him with Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.

The former Arsenal and Aston Villa star believes that Luiz is one of the most underrated players in the Premier League.

So, what has Paul Merson said about Douglas Luiz? Let’s take a look.

Paul Merson praises Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz

Well, Paul Merson has been raving about Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz, a player who has been linked with Arsenal.

The Sky Sports pundit has said that Luiz is one of the five most underrated players in the Premier League.

The former Arsenal and Aston Villa star has pointed out the development and improvement in Luiz’s game in recent years.

Luiz has been on the books of Villa since the summer of 2019 when he joined from Manchester City. The Villans paid the Citizens a transfer fee of £15 million for the Brazil international midfielder (BBC Sport).

Merson told SportsKeeda about Luiz: “Douglas Luiz is an established campaigner, so I’m putting him at #5. When Arsenal wanted to sign him a year ago, but people didn’t really rate him too highly but now, everyone can see what he’s all about as he’s been absolutely ripping it up for Aston Villa this season.

“He can sit as a holding midfielder and mop things up for his team but he also gets in the box and scores goals – as we’ve seen so often this season. He’s quite well-rounded and still very underrated, but in the 2023-24 campaign, he has started getting his fair share of recognition.

“People wouldn’t put him in the same breath as Declan Rice or Rodri, but based on their performances this season, I’d certainly put Luiz up there with the pair.

“With Casemiro and Fabinho past their best in recent seasons, the ex-Manchester City midfielder could also become a key player for Brazil in the years ahead.”

Arsenal keeping tabs, but January transfer unlikely

Arsenal are reportedly interested in signing Douglas Luiz from Premier League rivals Aston Villa, but I do not think that a January transfer is going to happen.

Earlier this month, Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano reported on Kick that Arsenal staff rate Luiz highly and think that he is “among the most interesting midfielders in the world at the moment”.

Football Transfers reported in December that Arsenal are keen on signing Luiz in January. 

Of course, we know that in football money talks, but with Villa seemingly in the race for the Premier League title, I do not see them selling Luiz in the middle of the season, especially to Arsenal, who themselves are aiming to become the champions of England again.

Luiz has made 159 appearances in the Premier League so far in his career. He has scored 17 goals and given 16 assists in those games.