The Athletic’s David Ornstein reports that Arsenal did not offer Luiz a contract extension, nor did he ask for one. As such, both parties mutually agreed to part ways once the current campaign is concluded.
The 34-year-old center-back signed for the Gunners from rivals Chelsea two years ago and has decided to leave London for the second time. He had two stints at Chelsea before joining Arsenal, both of which ended with him winning plenty of silverware. He won the FA Cup while at Emirates.
An official announcement hasn’t arrived from either the club or the player yet. Meanwhile, Luiz’s future destination remains unknown, although he did state his interest in returning to Benfica in a past interview.
“I always said that I would like to end my career at Benfica,”
“I love Benfica. My dream is to step on the pitch of Estadio da Luz in their colors.”
Luiz told Brazilian television network SporTV in an interview last year.
The Brazilian played for Benfica for four years between 2007 and 2011 before a January move to Chelsea materialized. The Blues paid a €25 million transfer fee to sign him, and he would later go on to win the UEFA Champions League with the team. Chelsea later sold Luiz and subsequently bought him back from Paris Saint Germain. He left the club a Premier League winner for the second time in 2019, joining London rivals Arsenal.
Luiz is the fourth high-profile exit from Arsenal in the last few months. The Gunners shipped off Mesut Ozil to Fenerbahce in January. They also sanctioned a double-deal to send Shkodran Mustafi and Sead Kolasinac to Schalke 04. The upcoming summer window is expected to be a busy one for Mikel Arteta’s side, with several more outgoings expected – likely to be followed by incomings.
