David Luiz eyes Arsenal stay with 'very high chance' of contract extension

Premier League - Arsenal v Burnley - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - August 17, 2019 Arsenal's David Luiz [REUTERS/David Klein ]

David Luiz is "very happy" at Arsenal and likely to extend his stay for another year, according to the Brazilian's agent Kia Joorabchian.

The 33-year-old defender has been linked with a move to former club Benfica after it emerged his supposed two-year deal at the Emirates was actually a twelve-month contract signed last summer.

The Gunners had the option to extend Luiz's deal for another season but missed the deadline and the clause is no longer available.

Nonetheless, Joorabchian insists his client has an "extremely good relationship" with Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and claims negotiations will begin before the start of next season.

"He's very happy at Arsenal," Joorabchian told Sky Sports. "He has an extremely good relationship with both the coach and the sporting director. He has good relationships all throughout the club, right up to the owner. He respects everybody.

"Arsenal had an option, which expired. We also had a pandemic. So the option expired in the middle of the pandemic. We are all very aware of that situation and we are all trying, very slowly, to get back to this 'new normal'.

"These contract situations, these renewals, if he stays or if he goes... will all sort themselves out when we get back to some kind of 'new normal'.

"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."

Joorabchian also clarified Luiz's comments about wanting to return to former club Benfica.

He added: "What he said was, 'if the opportunity arose in the future - before I retire - I could go back to Benfica and finish my career where I started it'. But he never mentioned about wanting to go back to Benfica now."

And the super-agent hit back at a report by The Athletic which claimed Luiz's £8million transfer to Arsenal last summer was accompanied by £6million in agents fees.

"The agent's fee that was reported by The Athletic is so, so, so wrong," Joorabchian said. "The fee for David was less than 10 per cent of that."

Joorabchian also provided updates on the futures of two of Luiz's high-profile compatriots whom he also represents: Willian and Philippe Coutinho.

He admitted Willian's contract extension talks with Chelsea have stalled amid interest from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, while reaffirming Coutinho's desire to return to the Premier League.

"He has a desire to come back to the Premier League at some point," Joorabchian said.

"It may not happen this year, it may happen this year - we don't know. We really have not discussed anything for now."

And despite Bayern Munich passing up the option to buy the on-loan Barcelona man, Jooabchian believes an extended stay at the Allianz Arena is a possibility.