Arsenal was slammed for the decision to give David Luiz a new contract after his horror show against Manchester City. Former Chelsea player Craig Burley compared the decision to when City held Vincent Kompany at the club and the Blues held John Terry at Stamford Bridge after both had entered the twilight of their career.
The top scorers stunned fans this week by confirming that Luiz had signed an extension of his contract.
The Brazilian was ready to leave the club on June 30 and many fans seemed willing to see him go after his nightmare performance at Etihad.
Luiz was expelled after conceding a penalty and making a mistake that led to the opening of the City.
However, Arsenal officials have decided to extend his contract for an extra year, an unpopular move with sections of the club’s base.
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And Burley made the decision about ESPN FC, asking why they decided to extend his contract when he didn’t perform.
He compared the situation to when Terry received a new contract at Chelsea despite being on the decline and referred to Kompany’s tenure to Etihad.
Terry was awarded a one-year contract in 2016 despite Chelsea having other younger options on the team, and was a key figure in the locker room for the Blues.
Burley explained that in these two situations, the players in question were kept in the club because of their role in the locker room and their connections with each club.
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But he said Luiz would not have the same impact from Mikel Arteta and would continue to make mistakes next season.
Burley said: “It’s a bit like Chelsea keeping John Terry around the end just because he knew the club inside and out.
“It had been the backbone of that club for 10-15 years or more.
“It’s also a bit like Man City with Vincent Kompany, who was coming to an end but they kept him there.
“He didn’t always play because he had injuries but when he was in shape he was playing, driving from the front, captain on and off the pitch and respected in the dressing room.
“Even when he was injured it was a large part of that dressing room.
“At that point, this is none of these, it’s a last minute signature about a year ago from a player who made mistakes – he keeps making mistakes and they signed it again.
“It’s just another of Arsenal’s bad decisions in their strategy.”
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