"He's a huge asset for the club" - Joe Cole claims Arsenal will have to pay over £100 million to sign top target in January

TNT Sports pundit Joe Cole reckons Arsenal will need to spend over £100 million to sign in-form Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz. The former Liverpool star also believes that Luiz is operating at a higher level than Chelsea's Moises Caicedo.

Luiz is reportedly one of the Gunners' top midfield targets in the January transfer window. The Brazilian central midfielder has been in sensational form this season, scoring six goals and providing four assists in 25 appearances across all competitions.

His feats have helped propel Aston Villa into the Premier League title race. The Villains are currently third in the league standings with 35 points from 16 games, just two points behind leaders Liverpool.

However, Luiz signed a new contract with Aston Villa last year, keeping him tied to the club until 2026. Arsenal would reportedly need to offload several stars to put together a serious bid to sign the 25-year-old.

Cole said (via METRO):

"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. 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."

The Gunners signed Rice for a reported fee of £105 million, while Chelsea signed Caicedo for £115 million. Luiz has arguably performed at a higher level than both midfielders so far this season, with Caicedo yet to accumulate a goal contribution in his 17 appearances in total.

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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta says key player could return to face Brighton in PL clash

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has said that Gabriel Martinelli is in contention to feature against Brighton & Hove Albion. The two sides are set to face each other at the Emirates Stadium for their Premier League clash on Sunday, December 17.

Martinelli played for 69 minutes during their 1-0 loss to Aston Villa last week. But he was a notable absentee midweek in the UEFA Champions League due to illness, as Arsenal drew PSV Eindhoven 1-1.

During the Brighton pre-match press conference, Arteta said (via 90min):

"He's feeling good. He'll be in contention."

Martinelli's return would be a massive boost for Arsenal. The 22-year-old has been in fine form this season, netting four goals and providing three assists in 19 appearances across all competitions.