Back in the summer, Arsenal broke the £100m barrier and their transfer record when signing Declan Rice from London rivals West Ham United.
ESPN sources put the final figure at £100m plus £5m in add-ons.
To this point, it appears that it’s been money well spent for not only has Rice come up with some vital goals for his new club – the late goals against Man United and Luton Town spring readily to mind – but he has settled in so well it’s like he’s been with the Gunners for years.
Indeed, his excellence in the role has allowed the attacking players in front of him to flourish.
It could be said that you get what you pay for, and if Mikel Arteta wants to secure his favoured target this winter then he’ll need to come up with a similar figure to what the club paid for Rice – and even then it might not be enough.
According to Football Insider, Aston Villa are steadfast in their desire to not sell Douglas Luiz for any price in January.
The outlet go on to say that the Midlands-based outfit believe that the fees for Rice, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, all of which were above the £100m mark, are a barometer for the kind of ballpark figure they’d be looking at if ever they were persuaded to part with the player – which would look to be next summer at the earliest, if at all.