Aston Villa turned down bids for Arsenal target

Aston Villa reportedly turned down three bids for midfielder Douglas Luiz last month.

The Brazilian's future was a topic of speculation in January after it emerged that Villa were interested in signing Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus.

However, they could not find a suitable agreement for the Uruguayan, who eventually joined Tottenham Hotspur on a permanent deal.

It is now revealed that the Midlands outfit had received as many as three bids for the 23-year-old amid the uncertainty over his future.

Villa did not entertain any of those proposals, and the onus is now on negotiating a new long-term deal for the Brazil international.

Luiz's current contract expires in 17 months, and talks are planned with his representatives in the coming weeks to find a suitable solution.

Arsenal have been linked with him on numerous occasions, and it has been revealed that manager Mikel Arteta is a huge admirer of his services.

Arteta was previously the assistant manager at Manchester City. He tracked the progress of Luiz, who spent two seasons on loan at Girona from City.