Arsene Wenger used to be the man in charge of all football-related decisions at Arsenal. That was a more simpler time, judging by the weird sequence of pronouncements made on Wednesday.
What has Cedric Soares accomplished since joining the team to merit a four-year contract, please?
It’s challenging to provide an answer. Due to a knee ailment, he has made exactly zero games since joining on loan from Southampton in January. This makes Wednesday’s announcement of his permanent move to London somewhat puzzling.
It might not be fair to criticize the transfer. If you can’t play, you don’t accumulate over 100 Premier League appearances or a medal for winning the European Championship. Yet a four-year contract? Really?
If you dig a bit deeper, though, you could wonder if their recruitment approach is part of something broader.
Agent for Soares is Kia Joorabchian, who is rumored to be very close with director of football Raul Sanllehi. The Iranian and technical director Edu have a long-standing working relationship, although the club was careful to remind out on Wednesday night that the Iranian is not Edu’s agent.
But David Luiz, who signed a new 12-month contract, is represented by Joorabchian. There is a good probability Arsenal will sign Willian from Chelsea on a free transfer at the end of the season. Arsenal has also announced the signing of defender Pablo Mari on a four-year agreement. Who is Willian’s agent? His last name has a J in it.
Both goalkeeper Norberto Neto and Philippe Coutinho have been prominently linked with recent moves to the Emirates. that person? Correct. It’s not unusual for a club to give a preferred agency authority to help with recruitment efforts. Additionally, there is nothing inappropriate about it.
Take wolves as an example. They have advanced to the verge of the Champions League thanks in part to Jorge Mendes’ influence. If it weren’t for Mendes’ influence, Wolves wouldn’t have Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Diogo Jota, and Rui Patricio as players. Most likely not.
But this is Arsenal, a soccer team with a long history. Wenger wouldn’t have allowed it to happen.
Even if it hurt their recruitment plan, Wenger had a history of being reluctant to work with “super agents.” He was worried that if you let them in, you wouldn’t be able to get their players out.
Wenger slept soundly on August 31, 2014, knowing that Arsenal will acquire Radamel Falcao the following day. When he opened his eyes, he learned that Mendes, the agent for Falcao, had really used Arsenal’s interest as a bargaining chip to secure a trade to Manchester United.
Wenger suffered a loss and vowed never to work with a “super agent” once more. Sanllehi’s first appointment as head of football relations and Sven Mislintat’s subsequent appointment as head of recruitment in 2017 signaled the end of Wenger’s ironclad control over Arsenal’s personnel decisions. Sanllehi was invited to the club because of his network of contacts or, more specifically, because of his connections to some of the most powerful operatives on the planet.
In fact, Sanllehi used his connection to Mendes to facilitate Arsenal’s record-breaking 72 million dollar acquisition of Nicolas Pepe from Lille last summer.
It comes out that Sanllehi is relying on his pals more than ever because of the issues on the field in recent seasons, which prevented the team from qualifying for the Champions League.
And now that Mislintat has left, Sanllehi, Edu, and a particular agent seem to be in charge.
In This Article...
Which managers are represented by Kia Joorabchian?
The Daily Mail has discovered that Vitor Pereira has emerged as a genuine candidate to be named as Everton’s new manager.
According to the source, the Portuguese has already had a hiring interview and is seen as a solid contender by key members of the Merseyside club’s hierarchy after discussions.
According to The Sun, Pereira is on a shortlist that also includes interim manager Duncan Ferguson, former Toffees star Wayne Rooney, and Frank Lampard.
Mike Parry, an Everton shareholder, is upset about the Pereira connections and has criticized owner Farhad Moshiri on social media.
Super-agent Kia Joorabchian joined Moshiri in the directors box at Goodison Park as the Toffees fell to Aston Villa on Saturday.
Joorabchian represents numerous coaches in addition to a big list of players like Philippe Coutinho, Sergio Reguilon, and Willian.
Tottenham loses to Chelsea in the London Derby! The Football Terrace has the whole response.
Who represents Carlos Tevez?
After hearing what the former Red Devils right-back had to say about the Argentine striker, Kia Joorabchian questioned his professionalism.
Carlos Tevez’s agent, Kia Joorabchian, responded to Gary Neville’s accusations that the Argentine “downed tools” in his second season at Manchester United.
After transferring from West Ham to Old Trafford in 2007, Tevez had a great two-year run with the club before moving Manchester City, but Neville expressed his displeasure with the player’s dedication.
In his second season at United, Tevez allegedly arrived to practice late and generally wasted time.
However, Joorabchian has criticized Neville for failing to complete his research on Tevez and seeking to damage the reputation of the Boca Juniors attacker.
Joorabchian responded to a question about whether Tevez’s attitude was ever a problem at United in his second season: “Absolutely not, he was desperate to play. His record was outstanding; he had 15 goals and seven assists.
“He was available for every game save the three he missed due to injury every time.
Gary Neville’s professionalism should be questioned, in my opinion, for not doing his research on Carlos’ history or acting as a reporter to explain why Tevez wasn’t [professional]. He never called anyone, and he never inquired about what had transpired with me or anyone else. He just keeps making the same remarks.
He is placing a stain on the record of a player who has double or triple the trophies he has ever won by saying stuff like that. Carlos has won championships in every league he has ever competed in, he has received more Player of the Year nominations in South America than any other player in history, and now, at the age of 34, he has just led Boca Juniors to another league title and scored the game-winning goal.
Neville’s comments appeared to indicate that Tevez had made up his mind to leave Old Trafford after two seasons, but Joorabchian has refuted that assertion, claiming the Red Devils were the ones who forced him out.
“In general, Gary Neville talked about professionalism, the treatment table, and how Tevez was always bothered by people. What he doesn’t realize is that if Man United had decided to exercise an option, all they had to do was sign a paper and send it to the Premier League. This is the moment when a reporter should have the correct facts, Joorabchian said.
“When he came in, he understood what he had to accomplish. He wanted to stay at Man United immediately following Moscow and their Champions League victory. He needed to dig under Chelsea’s skin, so he sent [Didier] Drogba to the penalty spot. They won on penalties, and it was a beautiful moment.
“When they returned, he, [Wayne] Rooney, and [Cristiano] Ronaldo made for an excellent front trio; they were thrilled, but Man United chose not to activate the option. That was all there was to it.
Gary Neville claims that someone was in his ear when he said that Tevez had the choice to depart during that year, but Man United chose not to use it. Tevez didn’t realize he had been waiting there for nine months and no one had used the option until after it had expired.
Who is represented by Mino Raiola?
The Dutchman, who was born in Italy, has established himself as one of the top football agents in the business.
One of the most influential people in football, Mino Raiola is in charge of managing talents like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba, Erling Haaland, and, in the past, Romelu Lukaku.
The majority of his job is done behind the scenes, but he has a big impact on the transfer market and boasts a roster that includes some of the top athletes in the sport.
Who represents Cedric?
Nevertheless, there is a significant distinction between Liverpool’s willingness to pay agent fees and Arsenal’s dependence on them. Liverpool has an analytics-based scouting methodology that searches the globe of soccer for the top players, who are subsequently absorbed into Jurgen Klopp’s system. They acknowledge that they will have to spend money on agent fees in order to acquire these players, but this is not the deal’s driving force.
Sanllehi is considerably distinct from that. He is not finding players before approaching agents to negotiate a deal utilizing analytics, a huge scouting network, or wise, deliberate decision-making. Prior to making a decision, he consults with the agent to learn about the deals that are accessible. It is quite risky and worrisome.
Another instance of Sanllehi’s agent-driven transactions surfaced this week. According to James Olley of ESPN, Arsenal is planning to recruit defender Cedric Soares from Southampton on loan for a three-year contract. Cedric will first sign a short-term contract with Southampton, follow that with a loan extension to ensure his availability this season, then finally agree to terms on a longer-term contract.
Although it is tough to fault a team for signing an experienced Premier League player on a free transfer, it is entirely reasonable to question the reasoning behind this particular transaction. Since signing on for a loan in January, Cedric has yet to play for even a single minute. For the most majority of that period, he has been hurt. He’s never had his name on a team for a game. What justification does Arsenal have for spending money on a typical Premier League player’s pay, signing bonus, and projected playing time?
There is one clear connection. Agent for Cedric is Kia Joorabchian. Joorabchian and Sanllehi get along well. Joorabchian, an Arsenal supporter, has attended numerous games with increasing regularity over the past year. Additionally, he arranged a deal for David Luiz last summer that has already backfired badly on the team and cost 24 million for a single season of sloppy play.
Emeka Obasi, who?
The agent for the English man is a Nigerian by the name of Emeka Obasi, which is an intriguing detail.
Obasi originally gained attention after it was revealed that Manchester City had given the Nigerian 200,000 after Sancho, then 14 years old, left Watford in 2015. A player is not allowed to have an agent or receive any financial incentives until the age of 16 according to FA regulations. Since then, Man City and Obasi have refuted the claims.
Sancho is currently, and by a significant measure, Obasi’s most valued player with a value of 81 million, but what about the other players represented by his agency? Here is a list of the next 10 most valuable players, most of whom are, unsurprisingly, of Nigerian heritage.
The 20-year-old, who came out of the Arsenal system during the 201819 season, has made close to 100 competitive appearances for the North London team with 13 goals and 22 assists to his credit.
Saka, who this summer helped England reach the Euro 2020 final at Wembley, has in fact emerged as a crucial player for both Arsenal and the national side.
One of four players valued at more than $1 million under Obasi who is not of Nigerian heritage is the midfielder, a Dereham native. He is also the only player on the list who is white and has the same valuation range.
Cantwell began playing for the Canaries as a youngster before moving on to Fortuna Sittard in the Dutch Eerste Divisie on loan. Since then, he has made 107 appearances for Norwich in all competitions, making 14 goals and 12 assists.
Iwobi started his career at Arsenal, like like Saka, and played 149 times between 2015 and 2019 while tallying 15 goals and 27 assists.
He came to Everton in the summer of 2019 and has played for the men in blue for just 25 outings short of a century.
One of the players on the list who is not of Nigerian heritage and a product of Arsenal. The 22-year-old has more Ghanaian ancestry than not.
Nketiah impressed enough to be transferred on loan to Leeds United while still playing in the Championship after a few first team appearances. Since then, Mikel Arteta, the manager of the Arsenal, has worked to integrate the forward into the team. Nketiah has participated in 67 games for Arsenal, scoring 15 goals and providing one lone assist.
Moffi, who was reared in Nigeria and was born and raised in the city of Calabar, is the only player on the list who is solely of Nigerian descent.
His time in Europe began with Kauno Zalgiris and FK Riteriai in Lithuania, followed by stops at KV Kortrijk in Belgium and Lorient in France, where he has established himself with 17 goals and counting as he nears 50 games for the Brittany team.
Aribo started his professional career in 2016 with Charlton Athletic, where he made 97 appearances, scored 16 goals, and provided 15 assists until being signed by Rangers on a free transfer in 2019.
The 25-year-old midfielder has played 110 games across all competitions and has been a staple for the Scottish powerhouses, contributing 19 goals and 17 assists. Since his debut against Ukraine on September 10, 2019, he has also been a regular for the Nigerian national team.
Aina started his career with Chelsea and later went on loan to Hull City and Torino before deciding to transfer there permanently in 2019.
The London-born player is back in Italy for the current season after spending the previous one on loan at Fulham. Aina has 17 caps under his belt after making his Super Eagles debut in 2017.
Another player who was born in London, but who did not begin his professional career there. Instead, he played youth football in the north with Crystal Palace and Fulham before moving on to play for Manchester City and later Sunderland.
His professional career began there in 2016, where he made 49 appearances for the Black Cats and netted 16 goals. In January 2019, he made the switch to French club Bordeaux, and he later spent the 202021 season on loan at Fulham. Maja has received one national team of Nigeria cap.
The 20-year-old striker’s parents are from Nigeria, but he was raised in England.
His career began at Arsenal, where he excelled for the Under 18s and Under 23s, scoring nearly 70 goals in nearly 100 games. Since 2020, he has been gradually introduced to the senior team, making nine appearances and scoring twice. In April, he committed to a long-term contract with Arsenal.
The fifth person on this list with a connection to Arsenal. Born in Canning Town, London, Akpom began his career at Arsenal but was unable to secure a regular berth in the first team. Over the course of five years at the Emirates Stadium, Akpom made just 12 appearances while scoring 0 goals.
Before agreeing to a long-term contract with Greek club PAOK Thessaloniki in 2018, he spent time on loan at a number of clubs, including Brentford, Coventry City, Nottingham Forest, Hull City, Brighton and Hove Albion, and Sint-Triden. He was transferred to Middlesbrough in the Championship after two seasons and is back on loan at PAOK for the current campaign.
Ojo was born in the Hertfordshire county town of Hemel Hampstead. But he began his junior career in London with MK Dons before heading north to Liverpool, where he has been since 2011 at the age of 14.
Ojo has struggled to play for the first squad at Anfield since 2015, despite making 13 appearances and scoring one goal. He has primarily spent his loan seasons with Wigan Athletic, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Fulham, Reims in France, Rangers, Cardiff City, and most recently Millwall.