Douglas Luiz is one of Arsenal’s top midfield targets (Getty)
Joe Cole believes Arsenal will need to pay in excess of £100 million to sign Douglas Luiz and feels the Aston Villa midfielder is currently outperforming Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo.
The Brazilian is one of Arsenal’s top midfield targets ahead of the January transfer window.
However, it’s understood that the Gunners would need to offload players in order to fund a move for the 25-year-old, who was rewarded with new contract by Villa last year which keeps him tied to the club until 2026.
And Cole is confident Arsenal would need to make another big-money move in order to convince Villa to sell one of their key players.
‘If you’re looking at the price tag around them [Declan Rice, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandes], it has got to be in the ballpark,’ Cole told TNT Sports.
‘He has been performing in the same league as them, performing better than Caicedo, arguably. Rice has been outstanding as well, as he has been.
‘But he is in and around them numbers and he’s a huge asset for the club.’
Moises Caicedo has struggled to make an impact since his £115m move to Chelsea (Getty)
Meanwhile, Luiz insists he is happy to remain at Villa, despite attracting interest from Arsenal and Liverpool.
‘I am very happy to hear the stories but I am here at Aston Villa,’ the Brazilian told Sky Sports last week.
‘My focus is totally here. I don’t spend a lot of time looking at the stories. I see them, but I don’t focus on that and I’m not looking at it every day. My head is here at Aston Villa.
‘Unai, honestly, is an incredible manager. Since he arrived here, he has changed the history of the club. Aston Villa is a very big club in England, but things weren’t going so well. Unai has changed it. Now, people respect the club and the players more.
‘I believe I am in the best moment of my career. The manager demands a lot from me and I believe he has helped me a lot as well. I am happier than ever to keep working and continue evolving.’
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Arsenal would need to make another huge move.