‘Just the start’ admission from Douglas Luiz is good news for Alisha Lehmann amid talk of Barcelona transfer interest & £85m price tag at Aston Villa

The South American midfielder has rekindled his relationship with fellow Villans star Lehmann away from the field. On the pitch, the 25-year-old has seen his stock soar after previously attracting interest from Premier League giants Arsenal.

There have been suggestions that Luiz is registering on Barcelona’s recruitment radar, with Villa said to have slapped an £85 million ($108m) price tag on a player that they have tied to a contract through to 2026. Luiz has offered no indication that his head is being turned by renewed transfer talk.

Luiz has told DAZN Portugal of his plans for the immediate future: “We’re all very happy with how this season is going, especially me, with all the history that the club is building and for my goals and assists, too. Personally, I’m very happy with it all and I think it’s just the start of a new chapter. As I always say, Aston Villa is a huge club and we’re prepared to write a new chapter. Since Unai [Emery] arrived there was a huge boost in the group’s confidence. I think he brought confidence to the team because we always had a good group of players. The squad is pretty much the same, only one or two players were bought in, so I think his work was important for the history that we’re writing.”

Luiz has no need to look elsewhere, in a move that would take him from partner Lehmann, as Villa remain in the hunt for a top-four finish and Champions League qualification this season, while also making their way into the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League – where they are set to face Lille.