Pundit Stan Collymore has slammed Arsenal’s decision to bring David Luiz in from Chelsea on deadline day, with the ex-PL star labelling the move as “lazy” and “cliched”.
Luiz joined the Gunners from London rivals Chelsea on deadline day in a move that cost Unai Emery’s side just £8M according to the Metro.
And despite this transfer being looked at in a good light by most fans, Collymore thinks the move is one that has taken the Gunners back a step.
In his column for the Mirror, Collymore spoke about Luiz’s move to Arsenal, stating that “Arsenal were having a decent transfer window – until they signed David Luiz. Now it feels they’ve taken two steps forward and one back with a deal for Luiz that’s lazy, clichéd recruitment lacking in any imagination.”
Collymore then also added that the move “smacks of sloppy seconds” and is also “not a good look for the Gunners”.
Now, Luiz is 32, and doesn’t have much, if any, sell-on value, however it was a transfer that the Gunners were crying out for given the lack of quality they have at the back.
Emery only really had Shkodran Mustafi, Sokratis and Rob Holding to choose from at centre-back after Laurent Koscielny left for Bordeaux, options that just aren’t good enough for a club who are looking to finish in the top four this year.
Thus, the club absolutely needed to add their options in defence if they were to stand any chance of qualifying for next year’s Champions League, with the Gunners doing exactly that with their purchase of Luiz.
It’ll be interesting to see what kind of role Luiz plays for Arsenal this year, and whether his presence in their side will give the club a boost in their attempts to secure a top four finish.