David Luiz has a ‘very high chance’ of remaining at Arsenal next season, according to his agent Kia Joorabchian.
The experienced defender has been widely tipped to leave the Emirates Stadium this summer with his contract in north London set to expire at the end of June.
Football London revealed last week that the Gunners had not taken up an option to extend his contract with the club, hinting that his days with Arsenal could be numbered.
However Football London have now said that Luiz will hold talks with the club over a contract extension anyway, with the possibility of a new deal on reduced terms being an option.
Mikel Arteta is known to be a big fan of the Brazilian international, and according to Luiz’s agent Joorbchian, it seems that the defender is very much keen to extend his stay in the capital.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Joorabchian said: "David will sit down with Arsenal before the season begins, have his conversations and they will both decide if he will stay or not.
"That will come before the season starts.
“The chances are very high [of Luiz being at Arsenal next season]. There is no desire to leave."
GIVEMESPORT'S Phil Spencer says...
News of a possible contract extension for David Luiz is certainly good news for Arsenal.
The Brazilian is among the top earners at the Emirates Stadium, and with funds likely to be limited in north London this summer, it appeared that a new deal for the 33-year-old could have been out of the question.
However if Arsenal can tie him down on reduced terms, it could prove to be an incredibly shrewd piece of business.
There’s a lot of uncertainty in the football world at present and that will make things increasingly difficult to complete any transfer business before the start of the new season.
If the Gunners tie Luiz down to another season at the club then it could well be a smart move in order to buy them some time to secure a long-term replacement for the defender.
It sounds like David Luiz is keen to stay and that could be great news for Mikel Arteta as he looks to make plans beyond the end of this season.