Liverpool submit £20m late bit to sign active midfielder as the clock ticks

Liverpool has reportedly made a bid for Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz, and the Brazilian may be the club’s next Fabinho.

According to writer Matheus Leal, the Reds have made a £20 million bid for Luiz to the Birmingham-based club, as they seek to address their midfield difficulties ahead of the transfer deadline.

While Luiz is eager to leave, Villa is anticipated to want a higher fee, in keeping with their rumored €35 million (£30 million) asking price from earlier this summer.

“Liverpool has made a £20 million bid for the midfielder, who welcomes the change of team,” he added in full. Aston Villa plays hard and hopes to win a few more games.”

Following the loss to Manchester United, Klopp stated last week that Liverpool needed another central midfielder, as injuries to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Thiago, and Naby Keita have left the Merseyside club severely lacking in the middle of the park.

The next Fabinho for Liverpool?
While Liverpool is unlikely to need to replace Fabinho anytime soon, as the former Monaco star is still only 28, having a long-term heir to the Brazilian in the team is surely not a bad idea for Klopp.

Since he joined the Reds in 2018, he has gone on to make 175 appearances for the club, in which he has contributed 11 goals and eight assists, helping Liverpool to win the Premier League and Champions League.

Luiz, meanwhile, has impressed for Villa since joining from Manchester City in 2019. The 24-year-old has made 115 appearances for the Villans, contributing six goals and eight assists.

Indeed, rival manager Pep Guardiola praised Luiz last year, saying:

“He’s a key player for Aston Villa.” A ball player who is also physically powerful.”

Luiz and Fabinho had fairly similar defensive statistics in the Premier League last season, particularly in terms of tackles per game (1.7 vs 1.6), proving that they are tough defensive midfielders in the top tier.

In two other defensive stats, they were nearly identical: interceptions per game (1 versus 1.4) and fouls per game (1.1 vs 1.4).