David Luiz has reached an agreement with Chelsea over a deal that will see him remain at Stamford Bridge till 2021, the club announced on Friday.
Chelsea have made an official statement to confirm that they have reached an agreement with David Luiz to extend his stay with the club. The Brazilian defender has signed a new two-year deal with the Blues that will see him remain at Stamford Bridge till June 30, 2021.
Currently in his second stint at Chelsea, Luiz has gone through his fair share of ups and down at Stamford Bridge across both the spells. In his second coming at the Bridge, the experienced defender has gone from being an indispensable figure for Antonio Conte to falling out of favour with the Italian.
The appointment of Maurizio Sarri though, has come as a godsend for Luiz, who has once again become a regular at the back for Chelsea. In fact, Sarri, on more than one occasion, has iterated the importance of the 32-year-old in his side due to the experience he brings to the side.
The same has been the reason why Sarri has persisted with the Brazilian despite some error strewn performances along the way. All this has meant that Luiz has made 48 appearances across all competitions this term, only missing a game when the Chelsea boss provides him a rest.
The player’s importance in the Chelsea first-team setup has now further been reinforced, with the Blues handing him a new three-year deal. Reports of the West Londoners entering talks with Luiz had indeed surfaced last year, and the development has now been confirmed by the club.
Upon putting pen to paper on the renewal, Luiz expressed his happiness at continuing at the club. He said, “I am so happy to be here and to have this opportunity to stay. I love this club and I still have the ambition of a young player.”
“It means a lot to reach another European final, and we still have the opportunity to finish in the top three of the Premier League this season and I will continue to try to do my best to help the team.”
While the announcement may come as a surprise to many, retaining the services of Luiz has understandably become a priority for Chelsea, considering FIFA upheld the two-window transfer ban they had handed to the club for breaching rules over the signings of youth players. The option of appealing to CAS still stands.
But, for now, the Blues will not be able to sign any player in the summer transfer window, which puts them in a spot of bother, considering Gary Cahill will be departing from Stamford Bridge in the summer. The announcement thus, makes a great deal of sense.
David Luiz is now set to continue as a Chelsea player for the foreseeable future. Only time will tell if the Brazilian vindicates the Blues’ decision.
