Chelsea are reportedly prepared to sell David Luiz in January, with Juventus the favourites to sign the Brazilian defender.
According to a report by Daily Mirror, David Luiz is inching closer to being shown the exit door at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is ready to offload the Brazilian defender, with Juventus the front-runners to sign him in the winter transfer window.
Luiz is currently in his second spell at Chelsea, having rejoined the West London club from PSG in the summer of 2016. Upon his return the Stamford Bridge, he quickly became a regular in Antonio Conte’s side, displacing then-captain and Blues legend John Terry at the heart of defence.
The player was also named in a PFA Team of the Year last season as Chelsea clinched the Premier League title. This season though, things haven’t been quite the same. Andreas Christensen has been a revelation this season, while Luiz’s own form has plummeted.
Antonio Conte did not take kindly to a question about his relationship with David Luiz … pic.twitter.com/7MhFF9Mrax
— Goal UK (@GoalUK) December 5, 2017
To make matters worse, the 30-year-old has seen his future come into question after a fall-out with the Chelsea manager last month. And as per the latest developments, the West Londoners are ready to part ways with Luiz when the transfer window reopens next month.
With the player’s position at Stamford Bridge extremely uncertain, Juventus are ready to hand him a lifeline by offering him an escape route to Italy in January. The Bianconeri attempted to sign Luiz in the summer as well, following the departure of Leonardo Bonucci to AC Milan.
They eventually signed Benedikt Howedes on loan from Schalke, but the German defender has struggled with injuries so far. The absence of Howedes leaves Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli, Daniele Rugani and Mehdi Benatia as Massimiliano Allegri’s central defensive.
The Juventus boss though, wants to beef up his options further, and is set to launch another assault for Luiz in the winter transfer window. But, Manchester United could be in the market for a centre-back as well, with Eric Bailly sidelined for at least two months.
The report suggests that Chelsea might command a £23 million fee for Luiz, which shouldn’t really be a problem for any suitor. What might be a bone of contention is his ineligibility to play for any other club in the UEFA Champions League, and it remains to be seen if either club indeed signs him in January.
