Report reveals ‘remarkable’ actual cost of Arsenal’s Luiz deal

Matt Stead

The ‘remarkable’ figures involved in Arsenal signing David Luiz from Chelsea for one season have been revealed.

Luiz joined the Gunners in a surprise move in summer 2019, with Frank Lampard deeming the Brazilian surplus to requirements at Chelsea.

The fee was reported as £8m and considered a fair bit of business at the time, but the ‘remarkable context’ of the deal has now been revealed.

The Athletic report that the final sum was closer to £24m when payments to ‘intermediaries’ (£6m) and Luiz’s £10m salary are taken into account.

Arsenal used the ‘justification’ of bringing in Luiz’s ‘calibre and experience for a relatively cheap fee’, while the sudden departure of captain Laurent Koscielny left them in ‘a desperate situation’ and necessitated a move for a player who ‘ticked a lot of boxes’.

Agent Kia Joorabchian is also mentioned as key in negotiations due to his ‘good relationship’ with Raul Sanllehi and Edu.

Arsenal now face a dilemma as to whether to let the ‘very popular and influential’ Luiz’s current deal expire this summer or negotiate an extension, as it has emerged that he only ever signed a one-year contract in north London as opposed to the widely reported two years.

Jamie Carragher feels that while Luiz is prone to mistakes, he still has a lot to offer Arsenal and in particular William Saliba, the teenage centre-half who will join for £27m from Saint-Etienne this summer.

Benfica is thought to be Luiz’s preferred destination, but he faces a wage cut of at least half to facilitate a move to the club he featured for between 2007 and 2011.

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