Arsenal were on the hunt for a midfielder on transfer deadline day, with football.london understanding that a deal for Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz was actively being pursued. But after three rejected bids by Villa, the Gunners were unable to secure a signing.
The need to strengthen in the midfield area was evident at the start of the transfer window. This was made even more clear when injuries suffered to Thomas Partey and Mohammed Elneny during the early weeks of the season had seriously weakened Mikel Arteta’s options in the middle of the park.
Due to Arsenal’s decision not to strengthen the midfield in the final weeks of the summer window, it has meant that the transfer attention has been switched to January with the hopes that the Gunners will spend then. However, it seems Luiz has ruled himself out of a potential move meaning that Edu will need to explore alternatives.
