Aston Villa are hopeful that they can convince Douglas Luiz to sign a new deal at Villa Park this summer with possible overtures from both Arsenal and Manchester City to be rejected – subject to one big condition.

The Brazil midfielder is enjoying an outstanding season for Unai Emery’s side, who have their  Champions League destiny in their own hands but face a critical game on Sunday in the race for the top four when Aston Villa welcome nearest challengers Tottenham to Villa Park. That game on Sunday will likely have a significant bearing on which of the pair secures a top-four finish this season, with Manchester United also waiting in the wings for a slip-up from either.

But Luiz has had the bit between his teeth this season, illustrating exactly why he’s now regarded as one of the Premier League’s most outstanding midfielders and may even have an outside chance of securing a nomination for the PFA Player of the year.

So far this season, the 25-year-old star has nine goals and five assists from 26 Premier League appearances, with his form seeing Villa place a minimum £100m valuation on his head.

Given the price tags paid out for the likes of Declan Rice (£105m), Moises Caicedo (£100m, rising to £115m) and Enzo Fernandez (£106.7m), Villa’s valuation for Luiz does not seem over the top.

Nonetheless, there would be a clutch of clubs looking to prise him away if Villa gave any indication they would be willing to discuss his sale. And amid worrying reports Villa may need to cash in on a star name this summer to ease their financial pressures, Luiz has seen himself tipped up as a possible target for two of the Premier League’s highest-ranked sides.

Arsenal, Man City target Douglas Luiz to ‘sign new contract’

Indeed, he has been on Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal radar for the best part of two years now and they saw a £25m offer for his services rejected in summer 2022. Looking back, that fee almost seems laughable now, given the rising costs in elite-level midfielders, but from a Villa point of view, at least they saw sense in rejecting that approach.

But with doubts surrounding the futures of Jorginho, Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny at Emirates Stadium, Arsenal are being strongly tipped to rekindle their interest in Luiz this summer.