16 December 2023 , 10:16
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Arsenal have long been interested in Aston Villa ace Douglas Luiz, but have been told that the Brazilian will not come cheap if they are to pry him away from Villa Park.
Mikel Arteta is keen on bolstering Arsenal's midfield given Thomas Partey's persistant fitness issues and Luiz is believed to be high on the Spaniard's wishlist. However, Villa have no desire to sell one of their prized assets during what has been a remarkable season so far.
According to ex-Chelsea star Joe Cole, the Gunners would most likely have to fork out around £100million to stand any chance of landing Luiz's signature at the turn of the year. This would not be the first time Arsenal have paid such a fee for a midfielder, after last summer's mega-money move for Declan Rice.
Even if Arsenal aren't deterred by the huge asking price, Arteta would almost certainly have to sell some of his own crop first in a bid to boost the funds. Luiz only put pen to paper on a new deal with Villa last year, which doesn't expire until the summer of 2026.
Cole made his feelings on Luiz crystal clear, even claiming that the Villa talent has had a better campaign than Chelsea's £115m signing Moises Caicedo, who is yet to justify his jaw-dropping price tag. "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 when discussing Luiz.
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"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."
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Douglas Luiz has been in great form for Aston Villa and is still admired by Arsenal (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)For all of the speculation surrounding Luiz's future, the man himself has publicly stated how his focus is firmly on goings on at Villa Park. He told Sky Sports: "I am very happy to hear the stories but I am here at Aston Villa.
"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 [Emery], 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."