Douglas Luiz - Confirmed confirmed

[Bent Neilsens Screamer]

I think he’s likely got a release clause and it’d be painful if he did leave, he’s always had potential but has only really come into his own since SUE arrived. Would he be as effective and influential for someone else as he is for us? I’m thinking along the lines of Benteke and Grealish who have had nowhere near the same level of performance since leaving although they were in the top level of players in their position in the league.
Hopefully he’ll realise he’s into something good and the grass isn’t always greener.
All speculation and lots of ifs and buts. Emery would find or improve someone to take his place and we’d soon forget about him and have a big wad of cash as well.

[Stu]

Arsenal spent £200m+ in the summer, they'll have to ship out players before making any further major signings I expect and signing Luiz from us, at this point, would cost them a healthy amount of money. Emery's comments seem to indicate an interest from elsewhere, so we'll see what happens I guess. Would be a shame and he's been with us for a while now, 150-plus appearances, but I expect he backs himself to get better.

[PaulWinch again]

I’d be prioritising trying to give him a new deal. I know he signed one last year, but he’s kicked on and if we can improve his terms then we should.

[dave.woodhall]

I wonder if any other top four supporters are talking about selling their best players?

[mike]

I wonder if any other top four supporters are talking about selling their best players?

Probably not, but that's because the press couldn't run 'Salah to Arsenal' rumours but they can run 'Luiz to Arsenal''. I think posters are responding within that worldview rather than personally embracing it.

[Rigadon]

I wonder if any other top four supporters are talking about selling their best players?

Nope.  But I wonder if any other top 4 managers were asked about selling their best players this weekend, or any weekend after a win at another top 4 rival.  Nope again.  How many top 4 players (fringe aside) are being currently being rumoured constantly with moves to other top 4 teams?  Again, none.

I think there is a big link here, between coverage, expectation and an apparent comfort with "flying under the radar", and that is a link we need to break.  Every time in the modern era that we've been in this position (on the cusp of breaking the modern glass ceiling), our best player have been picked off, mostly when we didn't need the money. Fly under the radar and you are a flash in the pan, open to being raided by the 'real deal'. 

Maybe we fan the flames and invite this type of coverage because of past insecurities - there is some truth in that.   

From my perspective, accepting that any kind of deal for Luiz in January would be anything other than completely and utterly shit, is mad.   I don't care if it's £150m.  Whatever, it's irrelevant.  If we sold him to a rival *now* we'd be sending every single wrong signal out. 

The maddening thing is that, much like the Grealish transfer, we might not have much of a say. 

[Dave]

I wonder if any other top four supporters are talking about selling their best players?

Liverpool forums have pages and pages about whether Salah was going to move to Saudi Arabia in the summer, what terms might be accepted, what the player's motivation might be.

Same for Arsenal when Saliba was linked with PSG.  Just because we're doing well doesn't mean that we have some sort of shield against other clubs potentially wanting to sign our players.

[RamboandBruno]

I'm surprised we kept Martinez last summer but we did, he's the best keeper in the division.

I don't see why. There was no market for him, so even had he wanted to leave there was nowhere for him to go to.

The big difference between the two is that there are plenty of wealthy and potentially attractive teams with a DL-sized hold in their midfield. There weren't any with Emi-sized one in goal.

Chelsea and Man Utd would of bought Emi over the keepers they bought, if they could of got him. I don’t believe your point is correct.

[Rigadon]

I wonder if any other top four supporters are talking about selling their best players?

Liverpool forums have pages and pages about whether Salah was going to move to Saudi Arabia in the summer, what terms might be accepted, what the player's motivation might be.

Same for Arsenal when Saliba was linked with PSG.  Just because we're doing well doesn't mean that we have some sort of shield against other clubs potentially wanting to sign our players.

Neither example being a direct rival for a top 4 position.  But I get your point - it's not just Villa who lose good players.  It is about timing though!   

[Rigadon]

I'm surprised we kept Martinez last summer but we did, he's the best keeper in the division.

I don't see why. There was no market for him, so even had he wanted to leave there was nowhere for him to go to.

The big difference between the two is that there are plenty of wealthy and potentially attractive teams with a DL-sized hold in their midfield. There weren't any with Emi-sized one in goal.

Chelsea and Man Utd would of bought Emi over the keepers they bought, if they could of got him. I don’t believe your point is correct.

Release clause or lack there of?  His age maybe?  Or maybe his desire to stay at Villa.  Fuck knows, but any 'noise' has been well off the scale in comparison with Luiz.

[Dave]

I wonder if any other top four supporters are talking about selling their best players?

Liverpool forums have pages and pages about whether Salah was going to move to Saudi Arabia in the summer, what terms might be accepted, what the player's motivation might be.

Same for Arsenal when Saliba was linked with PSG.  Just because we're doing well doesn't mean that we have some sort of shield against other clubs potentially wanting to sign our players.

Neither example being a direct rival for a top 4 position.  But I get your point - it's not just Villa who lose good players.  It is about timing though!

Why aren't they? I imagine they're not aiming to finish outside the top four.

[Rigadon]

I wonder if any other top four supporters are talking about selling their best players?

Liverpool forums have pages and pages about whether Salah was going to move to Saudi Arabia in the summer, what terms might be accepted, what the player's motivation might be.

Same for Arsenal when Saliba was linked with PSG.  Just because we're doing well doesn't mean that we have some sort of shield against other clubs potentially wanting to sign our players.

Neither example being a direct rival for a top 4 position.  But I get your point - it's not just Villa who lose good players.  It is about timing though!

Why aren't they? I imagine they're not aiming to finish outside the top four.

Meant the clubs 'swooping'. 

[Toronto Villa]

As long as the saying “every player has a price” remains a true statement, then our players will be linked with a club higher up in the food chain. Just as we do to clubs lower than us when we come looking. It doesn’t mean it’s a nailed on thing they will leave. Many Villa fans are getting carried away with the possibility of our best midfielder leaving, overlooking the environment we have created that would result in the opposite. Not all players want instant gratification.

[amfy]

Let’s not worry about this - we’ll probably be top of the league in January!

[Stu]

I wonder if any other top four supporters are talking about selling their best players?

It's Dave's fault!