David Luiz 'took pay cut at Arsenal to enable Cedric Soares, Pablo Mari deals'

David Luiz reportedly accepted a pay cut in order for Arsenal to confirm permanent deals for Cedric Soares and Pablo Mari.

Despite a number of high-profile errors during his first year at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal still opted to extend the centre-back's contract by a further 12 months.

The official announcement came at the same time that the Gunners confirmed the full-time acquisitions of Soares and Mari, who had been on loan from Southampton and Flamengo respectively.

While the deals have received widespread criticism from supporters, The Telegraph claims that they were only processed due to Luiz's willingness to accept a lower wage.

The financial implications of the coronavirus pandemic mean that the North Londoners are having to work harder to balance the books over the coming months.