Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has addressed speculation that defender David Luiz could leave the club for free when his contract expires in the summer.
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Luiz, 33, joined Arsenal in 2019 following a controversial £7.83m move from arch-rivals Chelsea.
Since joining the Gunners, Luiz has featured in 67 matches, in all competitions.
However, despite continuing to play an important role in current manager Arteta’s first-team plans, there are growing concerns the Brazilian defender could soon move on.
Despite seeing his deal extended by one year last summer, the South American now faces a nervous wait to find out whether or not his club will renew his deal for a second time.
With his current deal set to expire in a matter of months, whilst speaking with reporters ahead of his side’s weekend clash against Burnley, Arteta has broken his silence on the situation surrounding Luiz’s deal.
“He is. Extremely positive [influence],” said Arteta (as quoted by Football London).
“The professional he is, how he looks after himself, but also how he looks after his teammates. He’s always willing to help, he’s always really positive around it. He’s got huge experience of how to win things, but as well how to manage difficult moments and you need that.
“And then he gives a lot of composure to the team both with and without the ball. He’s a presence, he’s a leader and someone that is playing really well at the moment. What I want is that he keeps playing like that until the end of the season and we’ll make that decision together.”
Football London have also reported that Arsenal’s transfer hierarchy which includes the likes of Edu has already begun squad planning ahead of next season.
Whether or not Luiz remains part of those plans… Fans will just have to wait and see.