Jermaine Jenas has lauded Arsenal for their decision not to give David Luiz a new deal.
The Brazilian has spent the last two seasons at the Emirates after joining the Gunners from Chelsea.
He has been an important part of the Gunners’ first team since he joined and is one of the leading figures in the dressing room.
He has been a great contributor to the team, but it seems the club wants to move on from him now.
The Athletic says he has told Arsenal that he would leave at the end of this season.
His departure means that Mikel Arteta will have to fortify a significant part of his team in the summer.
Jenas thinks the Brazilian has served them well enough and allowing him to leave so that they can rebuild is a smart decision.
Jenas said on BBC Radio 5 Live when asked if he was surprised by the news about Luiz: “Probably not. Making 30 appearances I wouldn’t have thought it’s based on his age, I know he has had more injuries than he would have liked this year.
“I think Arsenal do need to start rebuilding. I would imagine David Luiz is one of the higher earners at that football club, and I think it’s a smart move from them to free up some cash and go a bit younger and try and start that rebuild essentially.”