Paul Merson has surprisingly leapt to the defence of Arsenal after the Gunners handed a new one-year deal to calamitous defender, David Luiz.
The Brazilian has had an inconsistent year at the Emirates since he joined Arsenal from Chelsea.
There have been times that he has been outstanding, but for the most part, he has caused Arsenal more troubles than he has solved for them.
Merson, however, is of the view that he understands if the club has handed him a new deal so that he can use his experience to help the younger defenders settle in.
He claimed that although Luiz is inconsistent, his experience can be important to the Gunners in their bid to ensure that they get better at the back.
He told Sky Sports: “On his day, he is a proper player and there’s no grey areas, he’s black or white. You’ve seen it at Chelsea where he’s absolutely outstanding and we’ve seen him at Arsenal where he’s been atrocious. But for me, on his day, I think he’s top draw.
“If he can help the centre-halves coming through and the youngsters there with his experience, because he’s won everything in the game, I don’t think it’s a bad year. I hear people saying ‘oh get rid of him, he makes mistakes’ – of course he makes mistakes, but he might be able to help other players while he’s there.
“The one thing I like about him is that he never goes hiding, he always keeps getting on the ball, he’s always in the thick of it and sometimes, that’s probably why he makes too many mistakes. But I can understand where Mikel Arteta is coming from.”
Luiz has won league titles with Chelsea, Benfica and PSG and he has also won the Champions League, making him the most decorated player in the current Arsenal team.
It makes sense, and in my opinion, he would do better in the number 6 for 60 mins, less marking, less races, more elegant passing and he would use his vision and experience in reading the game.