Chelsea have reportedly made a sensational €41m bid for Paris Saint-Germain defender and former Blues star David Luiz as Antonio Conte continues his desperate search for a centre-back.
ESPN are among several media outlets to report that Chelsea have submitted a bid to Paris Saint-Germain with a view to securing the services of Brazilian centre-back David Luiz, who spent three-and-a-half seasons at Stamford Bridge between 2011 and 2014. The hierarchy at Stamford Bridge reportedly want to secure the player’s return to Premier League as Antonio Conte continues his search for a centre-back.
David Luiz made 81 Premier League appearances for Chelsea during his time with the Londoners, but reportedly had a falling out with the current Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho and was ultimately sold to Paris Saint-Germain for £50m.
The Brazilian international has since managed to make 56 Ligue 1 appearances for PSG. A fan favourite during his time at Stamford Bridge, David Luiz scored a pivotal goal in the Champions League Round of 16 tie at Stamford Bridge in 2014-15 to knock his former team out of the competition.
David Luiz has started all three of PSG’s Ligue 1 games this season under new coach Unai Emery, but questions about his defensive ability resurfaced after his performance in the last game as he gifted a penalty to the opposition and was untimely substituted by the former Sevilla manager.
French publication Le Parisien have reported the €41m figure, which is close to the £32m quoted by the Daily Mail. Sky Sports, on the other hand, have reported a £30m fee with add-ons.
Chelsea have reportedly made a €41m offer for PSG’s David Luiz. Confirmed by player’s entourage. #CFC https://t.co/4sjNCDG2ua
— Jonathan Johnson (@Jon_LeGossip) August 30, 2016
ESPN’s France correspondent Jonathan Johnson has reported that the Blues’ offer has been confirmed by the player’s entourage and the player is rumoured to be keen on a return to Stamford Bridge.
News of the bid was met with mixed reactions from Chelsea fans all over the world, who understood the need to sign a central defender, but were concerned about the player’s gradual decline in form over the past couple of years.
David Luiz could be in line to lose his starting spot at PSG after his disastrous performance in the last game and the French club are reported to be prepared to take a hit on their £50m investment and let the player secure a move back to London for a comparatively lower fee. It now boils down to whether Chelsea and PSG are able to lock down a fee during their negotiations before the transfer window shuts.
