Arsenal are reportedly preparing to approach Aston Villa with a second bid for midfielder Douglas Luiz.
The Gunners are understood to have made the Brazil international their priority deadline-day target after losing Mohamed Elneny and Thomas Partey to injury in recent weeks.
Luiz - who scored direct from a corner against the Gunners on Wednesday night - has entered the final 12 months of his contract with Steven Gerrard's side after joining on a four-year deal from Manchester City in 2019.
Arsenal are believed to have seen an opening bid of £20m rejected by Villa, but The Athletic now states that the Premier League leaders will soon try again for the 24-year-old.
Aston Villa continue to insist that Luiz is not for sale, but the former Vasco da Gama youngster is supposedly pining for a move to North London, and Gerrard cannot guarantee that he will remain at the club.
"I'm not in control of that. That will be Douglas, his agent and what happens around that. I'd like to keep him, he's a fantastic player. I've made that abundantly clear," Gerrard told reporters after Wednesday's loss to Arsenal.
"We're not in a position where we need to lose our top players but at the same time Douglas has got a year to go and it is one of those really touchy situations where the club has to do what is best for the club, even if it is not necessarily best for me."
Luiz has amassed a total of seven goals and eight assists in 116 appearances for Villa in all competitions but only came on as a substitute at the Emirates in midweek, with Jacob Ramsey, Boubacar Kamara and John McGinn chosen from the off.
Ben Knapton
