Aston Villa are struggling to get midfielder Douglas Luiz to sign a new contract, says BirminghamLive journalist Ashley Preece.

The Brazilian will be a free agent next summer, and Preece thinks his agent will start looking at other clubs soon.

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What is the latest news involving Luiz?

Villa manager Steven Gerrard recently admitted himself that there has been no progress over a new deal for Luiz.

"No news in terms of him extending his stay here, so that situation hasn't changed, but what I would say is that he's very focused and has trained well," the 42-year-old said (via 90min).

"Am I surprised by the speculation? No, because we have got a young Brazilian player who is a fantastic talent, so I expect to be asked this question a lot as the season progresses."

Luiz has been at Villa Park for over three years after arriving from Manchester City in a £15m deal back in 2019 (via BBC Sport), but it appears that his time in claret and blue could be coming to an end.

What has Preece said about Luiz's Villa future?

With Luiz able to speak to foreign clubs in January, Preece thinks the player now has all the control over his future.

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, the BirminghamLive journalist said: "He's got nine months left and I think the ball's in the player's court. I think his agent will have a look around, see if clubs will come back in for him in January, so Villa will be faced with that reality in a couple of months' time.

"What happens then? We don't know. Obviously he can speak to clubs in January as well, so it's a bit of a worry for Villa. There's nothing imminent regarding a contract."

Who could Luiz join?

If Luiz does leave Villa, which is now starting to look like an inevitability, then the Emirates could be a possible destination for him.

As per Sky Sports, Arsenal made three unsuccessful bids for the 24-year-old at the end of the last transfer window.

The same outlet claimed that Arsenal's London rivals Chelsea were also interested in Luiz, so a move to Stamford Bridge looks like it could be a possibility, too.

With Jorginho and N'Golo Kante in a similar situation to Luiz at Chelsea, the Blues will probably be in the market for a new midfielder next summer, so them targeting the Villa star would not be a complete shock.