Arsenal defender David Luiz is all set to sign a new deal with the club.
The Brazilian is out of contract at the end of this month and the Gunners have decided to offer him an extension. The agreement is close as per Sky Sports.
Luiz is an experienced defender who could be a good squad player for Arteta but his performance against Manchester City is a cause for concern.
His regression has been rapid and it will be interesting to see if the decision to award him an extension justifies itself next season.
Luiz put on a horrendous display against City earlier and he cost Arsenal the three points. He needs to improve a lot in order to help his side for the remainder of this season.
The Brazilian has looked rusty and reluctant at the back. His poor positioning and clumsy challenges have cost Arsenal recently and Arteta will be demanding a lot more from the player.
The defender is a role model at the club but his performance on the pitch needs to be better.
Arsenal will have to find better players if they want to challenge for the top honours. Someone like Luiz would not start for Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, Spurs or Chelsea.
The Gunners’ decision to award him a new deal shows how far they have fallen behind their rivals.
It will be interesting to see if Arsenal can bring in the necessary defensive reinforcements for next season. The less David Luiz plays next season, the better it is for them.
The Brazilian could be a useful option in the cup games.
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.
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 Coronavirus pandemic and another injury sustained during 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 also sign a four year deal with Arsenal. Thus, he will make his move from Flamengo permanent.
The Spaniard who suffered a serious injury against Manchester City, will miss till October this year.
