Big clubs take note - Douglas Luiz is one of the best holding midfielders around

As Aston Villa continue to impress as the season goes on, we're seeing that there is far more to Dean Smith's team than just Jack Grealish.

In attack, Ollie Watkins and Ross Barkley are having excellent seasons, while goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is proving to be worth the money spent to bring him in from Arsenal. Matty Cash has been a revelation at right back and Ezri Konsa is having a season that has him flying under the radar for a potential place in England's Euro 2020 squad.

But it's the performances of Douglas Luiz in the holding midfield role that deserve the most plaudits of all.

The Brazilian has been excellent throughout the 2020/21 season, using his tough tackling and fantastic reading of the game to help keep Smith's side compact and strong defensively. What's more, his ability on the ball and in tight areas have helped Villa implement their style of play no matter who the opposition are, making them a threat against every side they play against.

Luiz is comfortable playing one or two touch football and is capable of playing his way out of trouble, while he also has the capability to burst past players with the ball. At 22 years old, he tends to keep things simple in the centre of the park and it's his quality in this area that has seen him break into Brazil's senior setup.

With the pool of top level defensive midfielders across Europe fairly shallow, Luiz's level of performance this season should absolutely be catching the eye of the top teams.

It's easy to forget that the whole reason he has been given the chance to shine for Villa is because he couldn't get a work permit for Manchester City, who were so sure of his capabilities that they insisted on inserting a buy-back clause in the deal that took him to Villa Park. The £15m fee was sufficient to ensure that he got a work permit and he has shone since.

90min exclusively revealed in November that City are considering using their buy-back option on the midfielder in 2021, but the likelihood of them being the only interested party is low.

Manchester United should be in the market for a holding midfielder this summer, while Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham could do worse than make a move. City hold the advantage with their buy-back clause sitting at around £25m, but the other clubs should be willing to pay up to double that to get hold of him.

Despite his young age, Luiz has a maturity to his game that shows he will be a top level footballer for years to come. A step up to the Champions League is necessary and all parties involved will know that the likelihood of that happening at Villa Park is slim to none.

It's not just the Premier League where his skillset would be appreciated either. With his physically imposing style complementing supreme technical qualities, he could boost any midfield in Europe. Real Madrid are low on funds but need to look at improving their ageing midfield, while Barcelona could use any sort of improvement on a currently poor squad.

These clubs aren't just names being pulled out of a hat for Luiz though, they are where he is destined to end up. He is that good.

Aston Villa's success this season is largely down to having one of the better goalkeepers in the league, one of the better performing centre backs in the league, arguably the best attacker in the league this season but also, the best defensive midfielder in the league this season.

If the clubs at the top of the division want to get better, they should all be targeting the Villa squad for reinforcements and Luiz should be right at the top of their list.