Arsenal could see David Luiz leave the club at the end of the season, having yet to trigger the one-year extension available in the defender’s contract, Football.London’s James Benge has revealed.
The Brazil international made the switch to the Gunners from league rivals Chelsea last summer and it was suggested that he had signed a two-year deal with the north London side.
However, it appears that he only agreed on a 12-month contract with the option for another year and the club are currently reluctant to trigger the extension amid the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Luiz’s current deal expires at the end of June but the club have the provision to negotiate a short-term renewal after the Premier League sides unanimously agreed that the expiring contracts of players can be extended until when the season ends.
The 33-year-old is currently on a £125,000-a-week contract with the Gunners and that sees him as one of the highest earners at the club with only Mesut Ozil, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe commanding more wages than him.
Luiz was pretty average with his performances under Unai Emery during the first half of the season where he was caught out of position on multiple occasions and was guilty of conceding a couple of costly penalties.
His performances have, however, improved with Mikel Arteta taking charge of the club and he produced some standout displays at the heart of the backline before the season was suspended in early March.
Obviously, Arteta is said to be a fond admirer of the defender’s qualities on and off the playing field and it remains to be seen whether the club can agree on a possible renewal with a pay-cut which may suit both parties.
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