David Luiz is keen to extend his contract with Arsenal by another year, after helping the club in pay-cut talks, according to a report.

David Luiz of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and West Ham United at Emirates Stadium on March 07, 2020 in London, United Kingdom.
LONDON, ENGLAND: David Luiz of Arsenal during the Premier League match on March 07, 2020. (Photo by Alex Morton/Getty Images)

The Athletic report that Arsenal relied on David Luiz and Hector Bellerin heavily in recent pay talks. Luiz supported the club’s position from the outset, and he is also reportedly keen to extend his contract by a year.

It’s not completely clear when Luiz’s current deal expires. Some reports suggested he signed a two-year contract when he joined, meaning a one-year extension would bring him to 2022.

However, other reports in March (from The S*n) claimed Arsenal were planning to activate an option in his deal to keep him around until 2021. The suggestion here is his initial two-year deal was a one-year contract with an extra optional year.

That’s not completely beyond belief. Stephan Lichtsteiner agreed a multi-year deal with Arsenal after his free transfer, but his contract only guaranteed the first year. The Gunners didn’t activate the optional extension and he left.

When in doubt, however, assume The S*n’s report is wrong. Luiz probably has a deal to 2021 already, discussing an extension to 2022. Either way, he is clearly happy in North London, and it’s unlikely he’ll move on this summer.