Football pundit Noel Whelan has been reacting to an update regarding Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz, as per Football Insider.
The Lowdown: Ornstein’s late-night news
The Brazil international was the subject of late interest in the January transfer window, with David Ornstein revealing on Monday evening that the club turned down three separate offers for the 23-year-old.
The most recent of those came on deadline day, with the likes of Arsenal, Everton and Tottenham all linked with the midfielder.
As we know, Luiz remained a Villa player past the deadline, with Ornstein adding that Villa now want to secure him to a new deal, with his current contract set to expire in June 2023.
The Latest: Whelan’s comments
Whelan, who regularly contributes as a pundit for the BBC, was talking to Football Insider regarding the update on Luiz. He believes that Villa have ‘the finances in place’ for a new contract and seemed to be all for a new deal, saying:
“Look, it’s all about performances and consistency. That’s when you earn the amount of money that you might be getting on a new contract.
“If you’re not playing regularly, then you don’t really have a leg to stand on.
“Douglas Luiz, 18 months, he has been consistently in the side and put in some great performances.
“They’ve got money, they’ve got all the finances in place and he’s been a player for them that has played continuously.
“If you’re going to be a top club playing at the top end of the league, you’ve got to have the squad that can handle that.”
The Verdict: Needed
Villa didn’t add to their midfield ranks last month despite showing an interest in Yves Bissouma and Rodrigo Bentancur, so a new contract for Luiz is crucial.
He has been a regular under Steven Gerrard, so failing to tie him down to a new deal before the summer will only add fuel to the fire over a possible departure when he enters the last 12 months of his contract.
Luiz has actually been the club’s second-best Premier League performer among players to have made more than three appearances, as per WhoScored, which just underlines his importance to the team, and the importance of securing his future without delay amid widespread interest in him.
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