lomekian
Essays are my thing
He's our highest paid defender and if he stays he's in the bottom of the list. No club pays their 4th/5th choice centre back £120k/week.
I can live with Marí as a third choice option (contract is too long, though), but I can't understand this extension.
Most people on here understand midfield is the core issue. Just look at the Partey thread.
Doesn't take away the fact that Luiz is a calamity in defense. His personality makes up for a lot, but he always allows attackers too much time and space. Even when it doesn't result in goals or obvious blinders by Luiz it increases the pressure on our team. I've never rated him as a defender, and unfortunately he's proving me right every week, despite his ability on the ball and his positive attitude.
Luiz is fine in the right system and with the right mix of players around him. We don't have either, but equally we don't have enough centre-backs who can pass at the required level for Arteta's plans.
If Chambers was fit, Holding fully recovered and Mari hadn't got crocked, we wouldn't need Luiz. But without him, we're one more knock from a parthership of Holding and Zech Medley for the rest of the season.
I don't have a problem with Luiz for one more year, but he's here for bigger picture reasons than his own ability. Were Saliba a year further on, Luiz would be gone.