Arsenal will have Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz on their radar again, believes CBS reporter Ben Jacobs.

The north London club tried to sign the Brazilian during the last transfer window but could not convince their Premier League rivals to sell.

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Why were Arsenal not able to sign Luiz?

Arsenal and Mikel Arteta left it very late in the window to make their move for Luiz, who scored against Aaron Ramsdale directly from a corner earlier this season. In fact, it was on deadline day when they decided to launch bids for him.

As per The Athletic, the Gunners had three offers for the 24-year-old turned down, including one worth £25m.

Luiz was into the final 12 months of his contract but has since signed a new deal that will take his spell at Villa Park into 2026.

The £75,000-a-week Brazil international has been a key player for Villa this season, featuring in practically all of their Premier League games so far.

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What has Jacobs said about Luiz and Arsenal?

Jacobs has told GIVEMESPORT that Arsenal still want to sign a new midfielder and believes Luiz could become a target again.

Speaking to GMS, the journalist said: "Arsenal still would like to strengthen in the midfield area, for sure. I think that Douglas Luiz will be on their radar once again. We know that they tried to get him towards the end of the summer window."

Read more: January Transfer Window 2023: When Does It Begin, Rumours and Everything You Need To Know

Will Arsenal sign Luiz in January?

It is going to be difficult now following the player's decision to sign an extension.

Villa were resilient when his previous contract was running down, so how are they going to be now after getting him to put pen to paper on a new deal? They probably hold all of the power at this moment in time, which makes things even more difficult for Arsenal.

You cannot blame them for wanting to keep hold of him, though, with Luiz being a very good midfielder.

"Am I surprised by the speculation?" former Villa manager Steven Gerrard said (via Daily Mirror) when speaking about Arsenal's interest in the £30m-rated star. "No, because we have got a young Brazilian player who is a fantastic talent."

Gerrard later went on to add: "We want him to stay here. I think the owners were very strong in keeping him here. We didn’t want to lose him on the final day and he’s performed very well since."

All in all, then, it would be a surprise if Luiz ended up at the Emirates in January.

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