“The Truth about Douglas Luiz” — Joe Cole warns Arsenal

Former Chelsea star Joe Cole has cautioned Arsenal that acquiring Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz could require a transfer fee surpassing £100 million, asserting that the Brazilian midfielder currently outshines Chelsea’s high-profile signing, Moises Caicedo.

As Arsenal eye Luiz as a top midfield target ahead of the January transfer window, Cole emphasized the substantial investment necessary for Villa to part ways with the talented midfielder.

“It has got to be in the ballpark,” Cole stated during an interview with TNT Sports, referring to the price Arsenal would need to offer for Luiz.

“He has been performing in the same league as them, performing better than Caicedo, arguably.”

The evaluation of Luiz’s worth, according to Cole, places him in a similar category as players like Declan Rice and Enzo Fernandez, who command substantial price tags due to their performances.

Despite Luiz’s impressive on-field contributions, Cole acknowledged that Arsenal might need to make a significant financial commitment to secure the Brazilian’s services.

However, the financial aspect of this potential deal presents a hurdle for Arsenal. It’s understood that Mikel Arteta’s side would likely need to offload players to generate funds for the acquisition of Luiz, whose current contract with Aston Villa extends until 2026.

While Luiz’s contract longevity with Villa anchors his value within the club, Cole stressed the necessity for Arsenal to make a substantial offer to persuade Villa to consider parting ways with one of their key assets in the upcoming transfer window.

“He is in and around those numbers and is a huge asset for the club,” Cole remarked, underlining Luiz’s significance to Aston Villa’s setup.