After a slow start to 2020, Arsenal made some smart moves in the January transfer window, notably securing the services of Pablo Mari and Cedric Soares. They arrived from Flamengo and Southampton respectively, in a short-term loan deal, though the Gunners have the option to make the moves permanent in the summer.
In this article, we will discuss how Mikel Arteta can best utilise these two defenders as he braces himself for the second half of the campaign.
Pablo Mari: More than a back-up?
Mari is undoubtedly an interesting signing for Arsenal. The Spaniard has minimal experience of European football, having initially made his mark at Flamengo. However, to be fair, he was a part of the Manchester City side once. But, at the same time, he is being considered as a serious contender to take David Luiz’s spot in the starting lineup.
For Arteta, the ideal option will be to elevate Mari’s status ahead of Shkodran Mustafi, who simply isn’t good enough and Rob Holding due to his lack of game-time and injury problems. That should make the Spaniard, the primary alternative for the defensive duo of Luiz and Sokratis.
Given the way, Arteta has had to shuffle his pack in defence this season; he could certainly provide Mari with enough first-team opportunities without having to put significant responsibility on a relatively untested defender right from the get-go. And in terms of a back three, the Flamengo defender can easily slot into a central role, partnered by Sokratis and Luiz, thus adding more versatility to the Arsenal backline.
Cedric Soares: The Bellerin replacement?
It is unlikely that Cedric will be considered as a replacement for Hector Bellerin. Even though the Spaniard has suffered numerous fitness problems over the past few years, he certainly has the talent as well as the experience to remain Arsenal’s first-choice right-back.
However, Cedric is definitely an upgrade over Ainsley Maitland-Niles, whose lack of technical prowess was becoming problematic for Arteta’s system. The Portuguese international, therefore, can add more steel in the right-back slot and provide Arteta with an excellent alternative for Bellerin.
This could be useful, especially in the UEFA Europa League knockout stages, where team rotation could be critical to deal with the packed schedule of February and March.
Therefore, it is fair to say Arsenal have operated smartly to sign these two players. Especially, Cedric, whose experience in the Premier League could make him a useful acquisition for the Gunners, who are now undoubtedly a better team following the arrival of these two individuals.
