Douglas Luiz has been one of the most talked-about assets of the January transfer window, with his performances for Aston Villa catching the interest of numerous Premier League rivals.
However, with Unai Emery's side also challenging for silverware this season and sitting fourth in the Premier League after 21 matches, the Midlands club are in no rush to let their prized asset go.
Liverpool are said to be keen on moving for the Brazilian, but it is Arsenal that are prepared to go the extra mile to secure the midfielder's services, as per a recent report from Football Insider.
If a move does go through this month, then reinforcements would have to be in the pipeline, therefore, let's look at three potential Luiz successors that Villa could sign now, or in the summer.
1 Mandela Keita – Royal Antwerp
The first potential Luiz replacement is 21-year-old midfielder Mandela Keita, who currently plays in the Belgium Pro League.
According to a report from the Netherlands via TEAMtalk, Villa are interested in signing the Belgian, who can be bought for around £17m.
Jupiler Pro League
15
12
Champions League
3
3
Champions League Qu.
2
2
Croky Cup
2
1
As you can see, the youngster has featured quite heavily this season and gained experience in the Champions League. Keita is a defensive-minded midfielder by position who is extremely comfortable on the ball, and has a vast passing range, as highlighted by the fact he's in the top one percentile for pass completion percentage in the Belgian League, as per FBref.
However, this transfer can only occur in the summer, as Keita has already played for two clubs this season: Royal Antwerp and his parent side, Oud-Heverlee Leuven.
2 Matt O'Riley – Celtic
Towards the end of December, Sky Sports reported that the Villans were interested in signing Matt O'Riley from Celtic for what would be a fee of at least £25m.
The Dane would provide a similar style of play to Luiz, with slightly more focus on the attacking side of the game. However, the table below shows that he is an all-rounder.
Assists
0.56
Top 1%
Key passes
2.78
Top 1%
Tackles
2.59
Top 19%
Dribblers tackled
1.67
Top 5%
Interceptions
1.30
Top 26%
The 23-year-old's biggest strength is his ability to create in the final third while also being relentless out of possession, stopping counter-attacks, making tackles, and intercepting the play.
Furthermore, according to Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig, he's an "absolute leader," which means he will take on responsibility in the middle of the park, just like Luiz does currently. O'Riley would thrive next to the engines of John McGinn and Boubacar Kamara.
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ByLuke RandallFeb 1, 2024 3 Emile Smith-Rowe – Arsenal
A recent report from Ben Jacobs via GiveMeSport confirmed that Emile Smith Rowe could close the curtain on his Arsenal career, with the journalist stating:
"I am told there is something genuine in the Villa interest in Smith Rowe.”
Now, although Smith Rowe is an attacking player by trade, he could become a great replacement for Luiz. Having said that, the Gunners gem wouldn't be a direct swap in the starting XI, but he could take on the inverted winger role of McGinn, with the Scot then filling in alongside Kamara.
Knee
40
9
Groin
63
14
Shoulder
46
15
Hamstring
91
24
Groin
91
6
As displayed, the 23-year-old has had a torrid time with injuries over the last few seasons, which has prevented him from working his way back into Mikel Arteta's starting XI. However, his ten-goal 2021/22 Premier League campaign proves that he has the ability to perform against the elite.
All he needs is game time and the trust of a manager to revive his career; Villa and Emery would provide just that.