Today is the final day that clubs can agree temporary deals with players to see out the remainder of the campaign, with Arsenal yet to confirm on four players.
Three on-loan players in Dani Ceballos, Cedric Soares and Pablo Mari are all yet to have extended their deals as of yet, and the club will be keen to keep the former at the very least.
Mari is unlikely feature again this season, although a deal is believed to be in the works to sign him on a permanent deal, with Coluna de Flo reporting that a deal is already agreed.
His injury may well have strengthened David Luiz’s bargaining chip, with his current contract set to expire this month. There is much speculation around whether the club are willing to, or whether they should even consider, extending his stay at the Emirates, and his disastrous display against Manchester City last Wednesday could well have ended his hopes of continuing his spell in North London.
Luiz may well refuse to extend his contract on a temporary basis today, as he may not be looking forward to becoming a free agent this summer, while Mikel Arteta may well give him the chance to temporarily extend in a bid to prove he is deserving of a new deal. It’s an awkward one…
One player who we should no doubt be keeping on an extended temporary deal is Ceballos. The Spanish midfielder has been a blessing to our options in midfield this term, and despite his clear intention to succeed in Spain, he has reiterated that he wants to see out the season here with us.
One deal I believe I would overlook is Cedric Soares, but I’ve not been blessed with seeing how he is doing in training. The Saints defender is available on a free transfer this summer, and Mikel Arteta may wish to have an extended look at what he can offer on the long-term having been sidelined since joining the club in January.
One more deal which I was worried about was Matt Macey, but Guardian reporter Nick Ames told his Twitter that his deal has another year to run, which will see him see out the season as our back-up to Emiliano Martinez.
Will Arsenal be trying to extend all these deals temporarily? Could Luiz turned down a temporary extension as he looks for a permanent contract?
Patrick
