David Luiz will bring his eventful two-year spell at Arsenal to an end next month, with his contract set to expire.
According to The Athletic, Luiz hadn’t been offered a new deal by the Gunners but had already decided against staying, informing the club hierarchy of his plans earlier today.
Despite his great pedigree and a low fee of £8 million, the experienced Brazilian international was a controversial signing for Arsenal given his reputation for making costly errors.
Comfortable on the ball, and skilled at dribbling or passing out from the back, Luiz has long divided opinion amongst pundits and supporters.
Luiz joined Arsenal along with Kieran Tierney on transfer deadline day in August 2019 as Unai Emery’s final signings for the club.
While Tierney has been a consistent performer when available for selection, Luiz’s form has fluctuated throughout his time at the Emirates.
He came in for a lot of criticism at the end of last season, most notably following his red card against Man City, which set Pep Guardiola’s side on the way to an easy 3-0 win.
Many predicted that Luiz would be sold by Mikel Arteta, but he has played regularly this season, making 30 appearances in all competitions and scoring two goals.
His departure will leave Arsenal with four established centre-backs in the squad – Gabriel, Rob Holding, Pablo Mari and Calum Chambers – along with William Saliba, who will be returning from his loan spell at Nice.
At 34, Luiz is heading towards the end of an accomplished career, having won multiple trophies with Benfica, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.
He had two spells at Stamford Bridge, winning the Premier League, the Champions League, two FA Cups and two Europa Leagues.
