Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says a decision on David Luiz's future at the club will be made when the season ends.
The 33-year-old will be a free agent in the summer and was expected to depart when his contract expires at the end of the season.
Luiz was handed an extra 12 months on his deal last summer after impressing Gunners boss Mikel Arteta with the impact he had on the younger members of the squad.
football.london recently revealed technical director Edu has yet to hold talks with Luiz's camp over a possible contract extension, with much of the current focus on finishing the season strongly and securing European football for next season.
Arteta insists Luiz provides a positive influence on the dressing room whilst his experience in helping the younger players has also been useful.
"He is. Extremely positive [influence]," said Arteta.
"The professional he is, how he looks after himself, but also how he looks after his teammates. He’s always willing to help, he’s always really positive around it. He’s got huge experience of how to win things, but as well how to manage difficult moments and you need that.
"And then he gives a lot of composure to the team both with and without the ball. He’s a presence, he’s a leader and someone that is playing really well at the moment. What I want is that he keeps playing like that until the end of the season and we’ll make that decision together.
football.london understands that Arsenal's squad planning for the summer transfer window is already underway, with several players having uncertainties over their futures at the club.
Indeed, the centre back position is an area where the Gunners are well-stocked with both William Saliba and Dinos Mavropanos returning from their loan spells in the summer.
Rob Holding, Gabriel Magahales and Pablo Mari remain the first choice centre back options but a short-term contract extension for Luiz could make sense if it's in the form of a player-coach role.
