Arteta sanctions new deal for out-of-contract Arsenal star after return to form

David Luiz is set to extend his stay with Arsenal after Mikel Arteta gave the club the green light to negotiate a new deal with the out-of-contract defender, according to reports.

The veteran Brazilian was due to leave the Emirates at the end of the season when his current deal expires despite featuring regularly for the Gunners and generally performing well.

But Arteta has no intention of letting the most experienced player in his otherwise young squad leave the club and has instructed Arsenal’s hierarchy to tie him down to a new deal.

According to The Independent, Arteta is a huge fan of Luiz’s contributions on and off the pitch, with the 33-year-old a key figure in the dressing room.

Arsenal have a policy of only offering short-term, one-year deals to players over the age of 30, so Luiz will be offered a new contract to keep him at the club until 2022.

Although he was rather harshly sent off against Wolves recently, Luiz has performed excellently during Arsenal’s recent return to form and was brought straight back into the team against Leeds following his suspension.

Although Arsenal shipped two goals, Luiz gave a strong performance and his attacking instincts from centre-back played a big role in breaking Leeds down in the first half.

Speaking about Luiz last month, Arteta said glowingly: ‘It’s credit to him because he trains really hard.

‘This season has been really tough in the beginning because he’s been through some injuries but he’s kept at it, he understood his role, he knows his role in the team, he’s one of our leaders and he’s so willing to keep improving.

‘He knows the things that he’s really good at and the things where there is still room for improvement. He’s a really honest man with himself. He’s won everything and it’s a joy to work with him.

‘He’s a great example for them (the youngsters). He’s got a good mixture with them between some banter and then some stick.

‘They all listen to him because of who he is and what he’s done in the game. But also because how he behaves every day, how professional he is and how he goes about the job. He is one of the key role models that we have in our team.’

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