Prem star told to reject ‘very risky’ Arsenal transfer; Arteta tipped to sign ‘nightmare’ striker
Arsenal legend Emmanuel Petit thinks Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz will have to be “very careful” if he receives an offer from the Gunners in the January transfer window.
The north Londoners have made a great start to the new Premier League season with Mikel Arteta’s men sitting top of the table, one point clear of second-placed Liverpool.
However, they are still getting linked to new players ahead of the January transfer window with reports that they could move players on before making additions.
The Daily Mail claimed on Tuesday that Arsenal are ‘planning for life without’ Thomas Partey with Arteta growing frustrated by his injury history.
Everton’s Amadou Onana is one midfielder who has been linked with replacing the Ghana international, while £100m-rated Luiz has also emerged as a target.
But Petit is unconvinced that the a deal for Aston Villa’s Luiz would work out for either party with £100m “a lot of money” to spend on one player.
“£100m is a lot of money, I really like Douglas Luiz but is he worth £100m? It’s crazy money,” Petit told Compare.bet.
“I’m not sure it’s a good idea for Arsenal to go straight on the market and buy Luiz for that much. I think he’s injured too much and the way that Aston Villa are playing, he probably doesn’t want to leave.
“If I was Douglas Luiz I’d be very excited to have an offer from Arsenal, but I’d think straight away, I’d look at my current teammates and say, ‘we are second place in the table and only one point off Arsenal. What happens if we do something very special’.
“We can imagine Aston Villa playing in the Champions League now. When you leave in the middle of a season, you have to be very careful.
“When you’re playing at the best level with your current club, it’s a very big risk to change and go to another club. I can understand it’s very exciting to join Arsenal, but the timing, I don’t think it’s good for him.”
A number of pundits have claimed that Arsenal need to find an upgrade for Gabriel Jesus – who scored in their 2-0 win over Brighton at the weekend – if they are to win the Premier League title.
And Brentford’s Ivan Toney continues to be linked with a move to the Gunners and Petit thinks the Brentford striker would “have an X-factor” if Arsenal signed him.
“Toney has been a nightmare for Premier League defenders since he came into the league,” Petit added.
“The way he plays with Mbuemo and the understanding they have together is so impressive.
“He has a physical presence, he can score goals and make assists, but the most important attribute for him is that he will come back on the pitch so angry and so ready to prove himself after he made a mistake.
“He will have an X-factor, he will have that feeling of revenge inside himself and will do everything to prove himself as a top player. He will be completely fresh in his legs and his head and I think if any team has the chance to add Toney, they should take it.”
