Aston Villa have turned down a bid from Arsenal for midfielder Douglas Luiz, 90min understands.

The Gunners have been looking for midfield reinforcements all summer and had hoped to get a deal done for Leicester’s Youri Tielemans, but the Foxes have remained resolute in their reluctance to sell.

With the transfer window approaching its end, Arsenal are exploring all their options and sources have confirmed to 90min that a bid has been made for Luiz.

However, that bid has swiftly been turned down by Villa, who have stressed their desire to keep hold of the 24-year-old.

Luiz is understood to have rejected Villa’s offer of a new contract and has now entered the final 12 months of his current deal, leading to manager Steven Gerrard admitting that a late departure could be possible.