Exclusive: Douglas Luiz heads three-man Arsenal shortlist for this summer

It’s certainly no secret that Arsenal continue to monitor some players to strengthen their midfield in the summer.

The Gunners are particularly looking for a player who can join in the starting line-up and be a pillar alongside Declan Rice, who has always been a starter in the 24 Premier League matches played so far.

The new midfielder will almost certainly take the place of Thomas Partey, whose contract expires in June 2025 and who is likely to leave in the summer.

Indeed, the Ghanaian has already expressed his will to say goodbye to Arsenal in June.

Several midfielders are on Arsenal’s list and one of the hot names is Douglas Luiz. The Aston Villa man – already approached well before the January transfer market – decided to stay at Villains at least until the end of the season, but Arsenal are planning a new attempt in the summer to convince him to embrace their project.

Another player highly appreciated by Mikel Arteta is Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi.

Again, a player that’s been followed for some time by Arsenal, he has a contract until 2027 with a release clause set at a reasonable €60m.

Barcelona are also in the race for the player, and they are believed to have a verbal understanding on personal terms.

Bayern, PSG and Liverpool are all circling too, so the competition is very fierce.

Keep an eye on Joshua Kimmich aswell. His contract with Bayern expires in June 2025 with the German club trying to find a solution to renew it.

In the coming weeks, the Bavarians plan to increase the pressure on the player to accept the renewal, however, Kimmich hasn’t yet defined his future and if he doesn’t find an agreement with his current club, there would be the possibility for a move this summer.

In addition to Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United are following his situation with great attention, whilst Barcelona are also monitoring things.