Arteta reveals long-term admiration for new Arsenal signings

Will Ford

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta claims January signings Cedric Soares and Pablo Mari will provide much-needed balance to his team.

Arsenal have completed the signing of Southampton right-back Soares on loan until the end of the season on Deadline Day, to add to the signing of Pablo Mari – who has also joined on loan – from Flamengo.

And Arteta insists he is happy with the business the club have done considering their limited resources.

“We’ve been trying to be active in the market to resolve some of the issues that we have been going through in the last few weeks,” Arteta said.

“We found two players who we believe can be very useful to improve our squad with the resources we had. We are happy with what we have done.

“[Soares] has big experience, he has played in different countries, he knows what it means. He was very willing to go to another top club, he has the desire and the commitment. I followed him a few seasons ago and I really like what he can bring. There were the right conditions for us as well to try to improve the squad.”

 

 

Mari became the first left-footed senior centre-back Arsenal have signed since Thomas Vermaelen in 2009.

“For me [Mari] is very important. He balances what I want to do from the backline. He gives us more options and solutions, he opens up the pitch more.

“Again he’s a player we have been following for the last few months, one that we are happy to have.

“I’m happy for two reasons, we believed we could strengthen the team a bit in some areas with the financial situation that we have. But four weeks ago I was very concerned with some of the probable departures – we’ve been able to manage that so far.”