Various reports this evening say that David Luiz is close to signing a one year extension with Arsenal ahead of tonight’s midnight deadline.
The club had previously declined to take up the option which was built into the contract he signed after his £8m arrival from Chelsea last August, a deal which between all fees and wages cost the Gunners well over £20m for one year of service.
The Brazilian has hardly been a resounding success on the pitch, conceding four penalties and being sent off twice – the latest red card coming against Man City last week.
There would have been few Arsenal fans shedding tears had he departed, even in the midst of an injury hit end to this season, but somehow it’s all seemed to come up roses for him, and he’ll spend another year in North London.
His agent Kia Joorabchian, also the agent of Technical Director Edu – and a close friend of Head of Football Raul Sanllehi – will be happy to have at last secured a paying playing future for his client and will look forward to enjoying more days in our Director’s Box.
Another of Joorabchian’s clients, Cedric Soares, whose loan deal from Southampton cost almost £5m, will also be an Arsenal player next season with a four year deal on offer to the 28 year old who turns 29 in August but until then remains 28 because that’s how it works.
The Portuguese international was brought in despite the fact he had a knee injury, and has yet to make an appearance in red and white because of the Covid-19 lockdown and another injury sustained in training.
Meanwhile, Pablo Mari – another player represented by one of Sanllehi’s close associates, Arturo Canales (the man who helped bring Unai Emery to Arsenal) – will sign a four year contract as Arsenal make his loan move from Flamengo permanent.
The Spaniard suffered a serious injury against Man City and will miss at least three months before he can play again, but some time next season we’ll find out if he’s good enough to be a part of the Arsenal defence for years to come because until now we haven’t seen enough of him to say with any assurance that he is.
Let’s hope so!
Liquidate this club. It’s Kia’s FC now.
Of all the anger, abuse directed towards Kia, Edu, Raul what are the chances that Arteta is the real kingmaker who is pushing thru all these shady deals, technically?? (FYI, he openly said he wanted Luiz)
I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns out to be true and if you could recollect in the 90s Graham was caught with a similar offence and thrown out.
He may well feel obliged to say he wants a player if he already knows that the decision has been made (above him) to sign him.
What the actual fuck are we doing. How are we signing a Soares to a 4 year deal? The guy has literally never kicked a ball for us due to injury. He is 28 years old, he is now contracted with us until he is 32. Mari, another completely unproven player who we’ve just handed out a 4 year deal to, who is …. again ….out injured for a long time. Luiz, is 32 years old, and his spell at this club has clearly shown that he is finished at this level. How we’ve ended up giving… Read more »
That would be Kia Joorabchian, invited into the club in the first place by his close friend David Dein? The same David Dein whose contacts book brought us Arsene Wenger (and Stan Kroenke, and Alisher Usmanov)? The same Arsene Wenger whose contacts book brought us Patrick Vieira, Nicolas Anelka, Kolo Toure and Thierry Henry (and Emmanuel Eboue, Rami Shaaban and Amaury Bischoff)? The same Thierry Henry who was represented by David Dein’s agent son Darren? I don’t like the influence of agents on the game (and especially not on our club), but to pretend that we have never played… Read more »
#RaulOut
I just feel a little sick, someone tell me this is good news.
“This is good news”
Everyone judging – Mari must have shown enough to impress, Cedric is valuable backup to Hector and may help us see the best out of Hector again (as now we can rotate). Osei-Tutu is not an option at right back as someone mentioned below, and the experiment to play him there appears to have failed – he had a real nightmare there at the start of his loan, he appears destined for the right wing (where he has excelled on loan), to give Reiss and Pepe competition. Cedric and Mari will be on relatively cheap wages compared to other… Read more »
I’m sorry, but signing a 29-year old backup who’s been injured for half a year and who’d been underwhelming for Southampton for FOUR YEARS is insane.
The way to run a sports club is to sign key players to long-term deals and add squad players on short, low-risk contacts.
We tend to make expendable players immovable.
Luiz was done a year ago.
Raul and Edu are actively hurting the club at this point.
I like Arteta, but if he supports these deals, he deserves a million times more shit than Emery got for wanting Suarez.
He’s backup – how many points has it cost us because Hector is not firing at 100% because we have overplayed him for years – and Cedric can actually do a job at LB too – it’s about him doing a steady job when other players need a rest. If Kola is going because he can’t adapt to a 4-4-2 (and Schalke are interested in buying him back) then on a free transfer we have a player that can cover both Bellerin and Tierney – it’s the biggest no-brainer of the 3. If he’s on about 60k a… Read more »
He’s 28 until he becomes 29. That’s how it works.
He’ll be 29 when the deal kicks in. That’s how that works.
Fetch the bucket.
Another of Joorabchian’s clients, Cedric Soares, whose loan deal from Southampton cost almost £5m, will also be an Arsenal player next season with a four year deal on offer to the 28 year old who turns 29 in August but until then remains 28 because that’s how it works.
You’re a truck load of laughs!
Horrible anus.
Feel the optimism
Unbelievable, 3 completely average players signed up no doubt on big wages. Cant see the clear out we need happening at all this summer. Begining to have doubts arteta is rutheless enought for the job
A four-year deal to a 29-year-old Cedric??? Would never have happened under Arsene.
He’s 28 tho
Yea, I get the joke. I’m trying to be a little more practical for a second.
I understand bro. We could really use a laugh right now, albeit hysterical.
No doubt. I’m sick of the wry laughs I choke out when we give up another penalty/red card/lead at a vital moment. I can’t wait until the day we can all feel confident in cheering and singing for Arsenal again.
I was one of the rare ones who wanted Cedric to get a deal. I think if given chance he will have a good career at Arsenal but a 4-year contract without even playing a game looks fishy to me. Super agents are controling Arsenal club from now.
For me, it really depends on what his hiring means for Hector’s future. My sense from Arteta’s presser was that they’d always intended to make his loan permanent so the injury and lack of playing wasn’t considered a deal breaker.
Playing one game?? Did someone send the same talking points? Did i miss the email? No player before they sign for a club play game.. for that club, thats usually how it works?
I was under the illusion that if we are dealing with Kia, we have to eat lot of his sh*t so we could also have his good players. I would like to know when those are going to arrive? With next move Willian and Coutinho will be parked here. But still where and who are the GOOD ones, that supposed to make this “arrangement” reasonable for us? We will be the cautionary tale of distant uninterested owners who doesn’t even know when they are being played with.
Soares I get. We have struggled desperately whenever Bellerin has been injured last 2/3 seasons so this should cover that off. (& hopefully help cut down his injuries too, some.of which I feel came from overplaying)
Luiz….I actually think he hasn’t been terrible….but he is not the answer & given we already have too many centre halves (but not enough really good ones) I think it is a waste of money that could be easily better used elsewhere.
Do you really think Soares is intended as a back-up – or is this a sign that Arsenal are planning to sell Hector in the not too distant future?
God I hope you are wrong….but now that you say it….
Instead of all the money spent on Luiz and Mari, we could have spent more on one quality CB who’d be part of the squad long term (another Saliba-like signing, but maybe a little more experienced).
We have wasted a lot of money in stop-gap options in recent years.
I have little faith we would be able to get a hold of a top quality center back, we haven’t signed a decent one in years. Hope saliba is an exception. Might as well stick with these two rather than trying to find one on a tight budget
It’s so tough to see a club like Dortmund about to get crazy rich with players like Haaland and Sancho. Or a club like Stuttgart get an awesome coach like Nagelsman and find talents like Upamecano and Werner.
I think we have very few things to get excited about. Hope Saliba is good and doesn’t get injured…
Arsenal is dead. Prepare to be a midtable team.
Raul will destroy this club.
Will destroy?? Check out the table. Letting him push out Sven was the worst mistake in an incredibly long, distinguished list of horrible mistakes made by the club in the last 10 (more?) years.
Couldn’t have said it better. Now we are basically doing everything based on rail’s phone book. Absolute shite. Sven was gold. We will be average for years to come this way.
Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t Sven now working in Germany’s second tier?
And he fell out with other clubs previously?
It was hardly a master stroke bringing in Auba was it? The fan base has wanted him for years.
And Sokratis has hardly pulled up trees.
Didn’t Raul oversee Barca’s most successful period ever?
You’re suppose to ignore all that
I hate long posts, but since you asked… yes, Sven took a promotion to sporting director to go to Stuttgart, who are about to be promoted back the Bundesliga after his first season there. And yes, he did immediately bring our most prolific goal scorer and most consistent defender (admittedly not a high bar) when he came to Arsenal. He also got us our top class goalkeeper at a bargain, and Guendouzi and Torreira. Even if you don’t rate them as players or think they don’t fit at Arsenal, they are among our most valuable assets. The ironically lazy thinking… Read more »
I didn’t say it was lazy. I said Auba was an obvious target. Credit where it’s due, Auba worked out very well. Sokratis has been average. Tell me though; who are the better prospects: Torreira and Guendouzi, or Saliba, Martinelli, Tierney and Pepe? Because last time I checked Raul brought the latter 4 all in in the one (and only) summer he’s had in control of transfers. I really don’t think Raul is where the problem lies in this club. I think the problem is the attitude of the players. I don’t think extending Luiz helps with that, but that… Read more »
This is some depressing shit.
I’ve now totally accepted that this club that I’ve held so close to my heart for many years, will for the foreseeable future, be a bottom half of the table club, for years to come.
To an extent I get why a player has an agent (although if a club wants to sign a player, it is money for nothing for the agent). What I truly do not understand is why Edu needs an agent. This I find really perplexing.
Who is Edu’s agent? Tell me it’s not Kia!
Oh, fuck. It is. This is all a stitch up!
All in Arsenal’s sporting interests of course. What an absolute circus this club is becoming. We can’t live in the past but I started supporting this club proudly as a kid because I learned that they were a bastion of good values and Arsene Wenger embodied those. It now appears that they’re disintegrating before our eyes. I’ll always support Arsenal, I don’t think I have a choice, but unfortunately I no longer feel the pride of following a well-run club with relatable values. Extending Luiz’s contract after this shitshow of a season?? What plausible sporting motive is there for… Read more »
When I see these deals being given out, I have to be honest, it is a criminal misuse of club funds. We just gave a year’s extension to a guy who was finished years ago, a four year deal to a guy who couldn’t get a kick on loan at internazionale (who signed a 6 month loan deal with a guaranteed 2 month injury period for a cost of £5m and played no games) and another 4 year deal to a player who could be injured for 6-12 months who is totally unproven. There is no logic or business sense… Read more »
I think you hit the nail on the head – it’s either just completely lack in logic and sense which is pure incompetence and if not that it’s “criminal”. Two awful predicaments.
Its all down to this: we don’t have any clue what talents are out there, we don’t or won’t identify players so we stick to what’s being put on a plate by agents. If I was a scout it would be a dream to work for the 11th richest football club in according to Deloitte, in the richest league in the world which will only get bigger and bigger. Instead I’m working for Dortmund, RB Salzburg, Leipzig, Ajax, Lyon, Benfica or Athletico Madrid and bringing young talents over there instead of Arsenal. If we can’t settle our scouting team quick,… Read more »
This is the club that once sacked one of our most successful managers for taking money under the table. How far we have fallen.
Was thinking exactly that reading the article. George was Arsenal through and through. He took his “unsolicited gifts” from the agent not the club, while Joorabchian seems to be openly stripping us of whatever funds are available. This rot began when the fans were forced out of share ownership, meaning no more pesky AGMs and awkward questions to bring accountability and transparency.
Wouldnt be surprised to see Luiz in midfield considering the current circumstances. Maybe that’s the thinking behind it? Doesn’t make it right though.
If Luiz is to play (which he will), DM should atleast be an option, at the very least we’ll have some muscle in there so his clumsiness still will need to be accounted for. Bleak times
2 injured guys signed and another who forgot how to play his position. Sounds about right. Ugh……
We are officially a mid table club. I wouldn’t have signed any of those players.
4 years for Cedric puts another aging player on the books that will be hard to shift in 12/24 months time. Will we ever learn?!
This news screams “bang average” so loud that my ears hurt. This is a sure sign that we are content with mid-table, or 6th at best. This club is bleeding, and its the quality dna that is being bled.
I’m off to go play with the traffic!
Same could have been said about monreal who was brought in as cover for Gibbs. I don’t think Cedric will be as good as Nacho, but he’ll be an improvement to sokratis or AMN or whoever plays rb when bellerin gets injured/needs rest.
I don’t understand why people are so angry we will sign a pl experienced player as backup in a position in which we are thin
They proved they fit in at Arsenal by immediately getting hurt.
Luiz tried to get hurt but failed, so did the next best thing instead.
Not convinced by some of these decisions. Club doing things all wierd as per usual. 1) Luiz. not worth extending. BUT likely we can’t convince Sokratis. 2) Mari, OK with this one depending on how much. If under 10m worth it (maybe 15m) but it starts to add consideirng Pepe and Saliba will account for 20m per window for 4 seasons too. Impact on other more imprtant areas to reinforce. 3) Soares – Prob a better Rback then AMN. So if he is signed for 5m its a good deal. BUT if that means we are prepared… Read more »
I believe the fee to make Mari permanent was 3m, plus an additional 1m for every 10 games he plays up to 80.
We saw very little of him, of course, but he did look promising, I thought, and considering the current financial situation, it seems like a logical move for the club. And if he does play 80+ games for the club and the fee goes up to 11m, hopefully that means it was all worth it because he turned out to be a good signing that Arteta wanted to play regularly.
I don’t want Luiz and I’m not sure about Soares especially as I can’t remember ever seeing him play but I’m not so down on signing Mari who in time could turn out to be a good player for us.
Also I suspect that Mikel Arteta must have wanted these deals to be concluded otherwise they wouldn’t have happened, that is unless fans out there think that he’s just a puppet?
Wow, what the fk is wrong with this club? It feels like the people in the boardroom are spurs fans trying to destroy the club. We are giving contracts to a player who keeps fking up in defence, gets sent off, and gives away penalties. We are giving a contract to a Man city reject who is injured for atleast 3 more months, and another one who we wasted 5 million on and he hasn’t even kicked a ball for us. Then they have Abu and Saka waiting for their contracts to run out!!!! and pay ozil 350k not to… Read more »
I like Mari and think he will be a good player. I am pleased that we are buying him. Soares is a cheap back up to hector and surely means AMN will be sold this sumer. Resigning luiz is a joke though!
4 year contracts make financial sense. They give the club wriggle room to command a bigger fee when they sell the player.
The club said they want players with two years on their contract to be sold or commit to a new contract. A 4 year contract makes business sense.
Mari is probably sensible though, all things considered
Yes, his is the least worrying deal in my opinion. He was genuinely good during the 6 months he spent at Flamengo. With one caveat: I worry that he’s too slow for the PL. Maybe he can adjust but it remains to be seen.
We are an old retirement home for the crocked, once great and currently shite.
Or a parking garage for Joorabchian’s fleet.
A Kia garage?
Weird isn’t it? Every player seems to have an agent or agency that represents them. Even that guy from ukrain we were linked to had someone known… weird.
so we were all worried about being made a kroenke club after wenger. where we finish just about mid table or above and never achieve anything. well thats what we are now.
Well, this is the first time our fan base has been (rightfully so) angry at the club for actually spending money in a while!
Such class from Arsenal. With all the pressure on retirement homes, we are opening a new one.
Best comment of the day mate.
So Arsenal. A club begging for defense signs a wash up who can’t focus and a pair of unproven injury machines. I feel at some point(s) I will enjoy a Mustafi/Sokratis pairing next season.
Clinging desperately here to the not-as-bad-as-expected news re Leno. Otherwise this week has really fit in pretty well with the general spirit of 2020.
If luiz is true, im done. Really cant do this anymore. Watching my club decline to this level.
Through thick and thin is bolox. Done my time of thin under don howe and terry neil.
When players seemed honest and we had proper fans
A club going nowhere where only the fans lose and everyone else gets rich
.fuck em and fuck the over paid players and owners
What a sad sad day
So we’re giving two seasons to a Chelsea reject and hope to be top four.
Everybody always have an opinion on what they think is right. Mikel’s signed a 3 year contract with Arsenal with hope to restore the club to what it once was. He’s no fool, he already showed us what he’s capable of and starting next season will be his first season in charge. Since he cane David Luis did well, Pablo Mari did well in the few games he played, and as for Soares I’m sure he followed him and know what he’s about. It all depends on what they do in training and what they mean to Arteta’s project. I… Read more »
I personally believe we need new owners similar to the Fenway Sports Group, intelligent owners. Since 2007 we have failed to compete with Chelsea, then Man City came along and now Newcastle not to mention the transformation at Tottenham, Liverpool and Everton. The club needs 6 new signings to build a new spine, playmakers in the form of David Silva, Patrick Vieira, Son and Kevin de Bruyne, a significant signing like Virgil Van Dyke in the back. Would also like to see Dani Ceballos sign a new long term deal. These are just dreams it seems certain that Arsenal will… Read more »
I agree. Liverpool is the model we should follow. Sold imo their best player for a decade, Coutinho, for a king’s ransom and spent the booty on an ex Celtic defender from Southampton. Brilliant business. Maybe I am being naive, but the impression I have with FSG, is that they are in it for the sport as much as the money.
If we could snag Armand Traore then we’ve got ourselves a world class back 4
How can Josh and Stan, who don’t seem to want to put much cash into the club and are (allegedly) good business people, not see what we can all see, that we are being taken for a ride by these agents?
It beggars belief sometimes how supposedly bright people are so incredibly thick!
They don’t care as long as we remain in PL, and we all buy the new 3rd kit. Kroenke has probably doubled his money already and now just skims off the cream. There’s enough for agent Kia too, as long as he supplies the players from his collection of midtable rejects.
Guys i have a different veiw to this. Cedric and Mari deals were logical and expected. They won’t cost much and would be valuable squad players to have. Cedric can play Rb or Lb if required and is very experienced while Mari we just have to pay 3m more to make ot permanent Regarding Luiz, just coz we signed an extension doesn’t mean we can’t sell him. Chelsea do the same, it’s smart business. If not We’ve all heard he’s a leader and a good influence, will help Saliba settle in next season Guys I’m trying my beat to look… Read more »
I think it’s the message it sends out to players, fans and other clubs about the level we are at: basically on field performances nor availability to play affect your chance of a contract here.
I genuinely, and I rarely, if ever genuine, think the Luis contract extension, is inescapably worrying. Either it’s reflective of a dark reptilian executive team conspiracy to fleece S. Krionke of his ill gotten riches, or evidence of Artetas lack of any plan. How any right minded person would consider this is frankly beyond me. There is sadly no question to this message as I am quite confident it, in its comprehensive idiocy, is beyond an answer. We seem to be well and truly fucked. .
a paradise club to agents. a club for injuries and retirees. really sad.
This is all fucked
Yup. And people were discussing CL a few weeks ago.
This feels significant. Average players on massive wages may be the norm now. Edu, Raul et al dont give a hoot about Arsenal. Just very content to line their own (& agents) pockets.
Although my feelings are similar to the ones expressed here, my proposal would be to let’s wait and see how will these players turn out. No need to worry about the future.
Great! We’ve secured the services of some reasonable quality, ageing, injury prone Championship defenders for the next few years. I guess they will come in handy for our mid to lower half of the table nail biters over the next decade or so. Great work Edu and the gang!
Who the hell would want to join us now? Not that we’re in the market for quality players. Empty stadium for years to come
Does anyone think people are being very reactionary and over emotional about Luiz staying for a year? He was performing very well before the lockdown. Yes he had an absolute shocker vs City but his head was clearly in the clouds over the contract, it can happen. He has a couple of shockers a season but under Arteta he was basically the leader of the team and defending very solidly. He also offers excellent passing in a team which really lacks that kind of quality and people round the club and the youngsters can’t stop praising his attitude. He’s also… Read more »
Unbelievable Jeff!
I assume Arteta wanted these players to re-sign?
Kia is the bogeyman for arseblog. Seems Arteta is untouchable by him. Must be the lego hair and sideways passing as a player.