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Kim Kallstrom vs Denis Suarez vs Cedric Soares: Which Arsenal loan was the most useless?

By Mahith Gamage

Arsenal's Swedish midfielder Kim Kallstrom scores his penalty during the penalty shootout during the English FA Cup Semi-final match between Wigan Athletic and Arsenal at Wembley Stadium in London on April 12, 2014. Arsenal beat holders Wigan Athletic 4-2 on penalties to win a dramatic FA Cup semi-final at Wembley after the teams were level at 1-1 after extra-time. AFP PHOTO/IAN KINGTON- NOT FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING USE / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo credit should read IAN KINGTON/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal's Swedish midfielder Kim Kallstrom scores his penalty during the penalty shootout during the English FA Cup Semi-final match between Wigan Athletic and Arsenal at Wembley Stadium in London on April 12, 2014. Arsenal beat holders Wigan Athletic 4-2 on penalties to win a dramatic FA Cup semi-final at Wembley after the teams were level at 1-1 after extra-time. AFP PHOTO/IAN KINGTON- NOT FOR MARKETING OR ADVERTISING USE / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE (Photo credit should read IAN KINGTON/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Arsenal have had their fair share of useless January loans in recent years, but which one was worse: Kim Kallstrom, Denis Suarez, or Cedric Soares?

3 Arsenal loans, 1 in 2014, 1 in 2019, and the other in 2020. 2 midfielders and 1 right-back, with the 3 players, Kim Kallstrom, Denis Suarez, and Cedric Soares, making just 10 appearances combined!

All 3 of these loans have been teased and mocked by fans, including by Gooners themselves (even the Cedric loan, which happened only 2 months ago), but which one was the very worst? Well, we would have to assess them each individually, which won’t be too difficult – since there isn’t much material to assess!

Kim Kallstrom didn’t do much at Arsenal, since when he joined as cover for their banged-up midfield, he himself was injured for quite some time, and never saw action until 2 months later! Kallstrom made just 4 appearances in all competitions, but his peak moment was better than both Suarez’s and Cedric’s, as the Swedish international scored Arsenal’s 2nd penalty in the shootout against Wigan in the 2014 FA Cup semi-final, which the Gunners eventually won 4-2.

This contribution, a single spot-kick, was better than anything Denis Suarez was able to do, which means Kallstrom most definitely does not get the title of most useless. His loan fee (€750k) was also significantly less than the one Suarez garnered (€2.50m).

So, let’s move onto Denis Suarez since we’re talking about him anyways – yikes. This signing looked decent for Arsenal at first, as the Gunners looked like they were leaning towards playing a 4-4-2, a formation that Denis Suarez is well-versed in. However, just like both Kallstrom and Cedric, the Spaniard struggled with injury problems after joining and never got a foothold at the Emirates. When he did feature, he was poor, and it was obvious he did not possess the stamina nor the physical intensity required to play in the Premier League.

Lastly, the Cedric Soares signing is a very recent one, completed just over 2 months ago on January deadline day – a loan from Southampton for a £1m fee.

This was an odd signing because Arsenal did seem to have 2 first-team right-backs already in Hector Bellerin and Ainsley Maitland-Niles. However, the latter seems to have lost his appetite for the position, which is odd considering he had all the tools needed to oust Bellerin to the starting spot.

Cedric was brought in as cover, but didn’t play a single match due to injury. Then, the COVID-19 suspension hit, and he was never given a chance to make a debut. It might be harsh to put him here based on the circumstances, but he did join injured and the Gunners are still paying his wages (which along with the loan fee, will total £3m by the end of the loan).

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All 3 moves were poor and did not repay the fees paid, but I think the award for worst loaning signing out of these 3 has to go to Denis Suarez. Kallstrom came up with 1 crucial moment, and Cedric hasn’t technically been given a fair shot. Suarez on the other hand, had the highest loan fee by some distance, and really offered nothing during his 5 months or so at Arsenal.

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