Aston Villa have now joined the race to sign an “incredible” Premier League midfielder, who has earned comparisons to Steven Gerrard from his manager.
Villa eyeing another midfielder after Douglas Luiz
Douglas Luiz returned to Villa Park during the January transfer window, and the Brazilian has picked up where he left off, starting the last three Premier League matches, and he put in a solid performance against Brighton on Wednesday night.
The midfielder achieved a SofaScore match rating of 7.4, the highest of any outfield player, courtesy of making two tackles and winning one duel in the 1-0 victory against the Seagulls.
It has been a promising start for Luiz, and Villa have an option to sign the Juventus ace permanently in the summer transfer window, but they remain keen on bringing in another midfielder.
Earlier this week, it was revealed the Villans are showing keen interest in signing Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White, although a deal could be on the expensive side, with the Tricky Trees potentially set to hold out for £65m – £70m.
According to a report from SportsBoom, Aston Villa have also joined the race to sign Lewis Miley, having been scouting the Newcastle United star constantly in recent weeks, but the Magpies are hesitant to sanction a departure.
There is widespread interest in Miley, with Arsenal and Manchester City also keen, but he is viewed as a future captain by Newcastle, who are unwilling to accept offers in the region of £50m – £60m.
With the 19-year-old tied down until 2029, Newcastle are in a strong negotiating position, but if Villa are able to tempt them into a sale, he could be a fantastic long-term addition to Unai Emery‘s midfield…
“Incredible” Miley likened to Gerrard
The youngster has earned rave reviews from teammate Malick Thiaw, who described him as “incredible”, while Eddie Howe has even compared him to a Liverpool legend, saying: “Steven Gerrard is a great one to look at. Same frame as Lewie…he had that yard of pace and could go box to box and score goals. It’s great to see Lewie contribute goals.
“Lewis can be anything he wants to be, in the respect that he could really take his position, solidify that position and be there for a number of years. Obviously, you need to have that little bit of luck, staying injury free.”
Emery’s a fan: Aston Villa showing keen interest in “unbelievable” £70m star
He could replace Morgan Rogers…
This season, the starlet has averaged a 7.18 FotMob match rating across 19 matches in the Premier League, which is the second-highest rating in the Newcastle squad, and very impressive, given that he is still very young.
During that time, Miley has chipped in with one goal and three assists, while also ranking in third place for interceptions per 90, having averaged 1.4, which indicates he is a well-rounded midfielder, who could go right to the very top.
