Arsenal’s decision to offer Cedric Soares a four-year contract earlier this week highlights the influence Kia Joorabchian currently has at the Emirates Stadium, according to Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail.
The Portuguese full-back was one of four players who extended their stay in north London this week with the Gunners having announced the capture of Pablo Mari on a permanent deal, the news David Luiz would be staying another season as well as the extension of Dani Ceballos’ loan deal until the end of the season.
Soares is one of a number of players the Gunners have on their books or are being linked with represented by Kia Joorabchian’s Sports Invest UK according to Mokbel and he made reference to the Iranian’s influence when reacting to the deal for the 28-year-old.
Speaking to the Touchline Fracas podcast, he said: “The one questionable deal I would say, that was announced today from that collection of signings was the decision to give Cedric Soares a four-year contract. That was strange to me. It certainly raised a few eyebrows, obviously, Soares is a Kia Joorabchian player.
“He’ll be 29 by the time the new season starts, so to give a player a four-year contract without actually having seen him play a game for the football club, that certainly shines a spotlight on Kia’s influence at the club because I don’t think any football person can justify giving Cedric Soares a four-year contract.”
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Given the Gunners have struggled for cover at right-back in the past, with Ainsley Maitland-Niles having deputised there following the injury to Hector Bellerin, we believe it was always likely they were going to try and keep Soares beyond the end of this current campaign. However, due to injury, the defender is yet to feature in an Arsenal shirt and so we can assume most didn’t expect him to be offered such a long contract.
The full-back is an experienced campaigner having made 120 Premier League appearances to date, he was part of the Portugal side that triumphed at Euro 2016 and so this could prove to be a shrewd bit of business by the club but it remains to be seen whether Arsenal’s willingness to deal with Joorabchian will prove to be in the best interests of the team.