Joe Cole says 25-year-old player Arsenal want to sign could be as expensive as Declan Rice
Arsenal have been heavily linked with a move to sign Douglas Luiz, and Joe Cole believes the Aston Villa midfielder could cost as much as Declan Rice in January.
The Gunners are expected to be active in the winter window. Mikel Arteta needs a couple of players to give his side the best chance of going all the way in the title race, and Luiz’s name has come up a lot over the last few weeks.
Joe Cole says Douglas Luiz will be as expensive as Arsenal’s Declan Rice
Declan Rice was acquired by Arsenal from West Ham United in the summer, smashing their transfer record.
The Gunners have to pay an incredible £100 million for the Englishman, with an additional £5 million as add-ons provided certain conditions are met (BBC Sport).
Todd Boehly’s Chelsea splashed £115 million to sign Moises Caicedo from Brighton and Hove Albion after Arsenal had paid such an enormous sum (Sky Sports).
The market for midfielders has risen as a result, and Joe Cole thinks Douglas Luiz, an Arsenal target, will fetch a price in the similar range the following month.
He said on TNT Sports: “If you’re looking at the price tag around them (Rice, Caicedo, Enzo), it has got to be in the ballpark.
“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.”
Douglas Luiz is not a £100m player
Douglas Luiz has been amazing for Aston Villa this season.
Although the 25-year-old Brazilian has always been a talented player, the last year has seen him advance to a whole new level under Unai Emery’s guidance.
Even with his talent, Luiz is not worth £100 million. Declan Rice is more superior than him, and even though Arsenal considers him to be their top target, pursuing a trade at this point would be foolish given the exorbitant demands of Aston Villa.
Although it will be interesting to watch what transpires the following month, we simply can not see Arsenal paying close to £100 million to acquire Luiz in January.
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