David Luiz Talks Frank Lampard, Arsenal Future Before Sheffield United Clash

David Luiz has said he would like to continue playing until he is 38, and he has explained he left Chelsea to join Arsenal in the summer because Frank Lampard's "ideas of football were different" to his.

Luiz, 32, moved to Arsenal from Chelsea in August, just three months after signing a new deal to 2021 at Stamford Bridge:

He replaced Laurent Koscielny in the centre of Arsenal's defence—the former Gunners captain moved to Bordeaux in August—and he has started seven of their eight Premier League games this term.

The Brazilian's exit from Chelsea was something of a surprise, not only due to his contract extension but because he and Lampard had previously been team-mates.

However, Luiz has explained he decided to leave the west London club before the offer came in from Arsenal, per Sam Dean of the Telegraph: 

"I decided to leave Chelsea before there was contact with Arsenal. People do not know that but I decided early to leave Chelsea. After that I had contact with Arsenal and I took a decision which everybody knows was not easy.

"Me and Lampard, we had honest conversations. Man to man, me and him. His ideas of football were different to mine. We just agreed: 'OK, we move on.' In an honest way, in a mature way. We played together, we won together. We won the Champions League, the Europa League, everything together. It was done in a mature way."

Luiz is a hugely experienced player with four league titles to his name, including one Premier League, along with plenty of other silverware.

He has previously had a reputation for poor decision-making and erratic form, but his experience makes him a big asset in an Arsenal side looking to get back into the Premier League's top four.

When he signed for Arsenal, Luiz penned a two-year contract at the Emirates Stadium.

The Brazil international told Dean, though, that he harbours ambitions to play beyond that before possibly taking up coaching:

"I want to be a coach when I am 40. Before that I want to play football as much as I can, at a high level. And that is going to be until I am 36, 37, 38. I work with my body every day. I have people working with me for more than five hours a day. This season my physical numbers are better than when I was 28."

Arsenal currently sit fifth in the Premier League table:

They can jump up to third if they win at Sheffield United on Monday.

It will be a tricky fixture, as the Blades have proved to be a resilient side since being promoted back to the top flight last season.

They held Chelsea to a draw and beat Everton, but Chris Wilder's side are still hovering just a point above the relegation zone.

Unai Emery's Arsenal, meanwhile, are on an eight-match unbeaten run in all competitions and will be well motivated to pick up a win on Monday in order to move into the Champions League places.