Arsenal make second deadline day signing in David Luiz
Arsenal have confirmed that they have completed the signing of 32-year-old Brazilian defender David Luiz from Chelsea.
Luiz who signed a contract extension with the Blues less than three months back ended his second spell at the club. The Brazilian first came to Stamford Bridge from Benfica in 2011 on a transfer fee of £23 (€25) million and helped Chelsea win the FA Cup, the Champions League and the Europa League.
He left for Paris Saint-Germain in 2014 and made 89 appearances for them before returning to Chelsea in 2016.
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During his second spell at Chelsea, Luiz helped the club win the Premier League in 2016/17 and the Europa League last season and was also in the squad that won the FA Cup in 2017/18. All-in-all, the Brazilian international made 248 appearances for the Blues, scoring 18 goals and providing 12 assists.
Last season, the centre-back made 50 appearances under Maurizio Sarri, scoring 3 goals and providing 2 assists. He formed a decent partnership with Antonio Rudiger at central defence which helped Chelsea finish third in the Premier League.
Luiz helped Chelsea lift their second Europa League title. Despite playing just 6 of the club’s 15 matches, his impact was enough to earn a place in the tournament’s Team of the Season.
Upon the Brazilian’s signing for Arsenal, Unai Emery who managed him at PSG, said as quoted by the club’s official website:
"David has huge experience and I look forward to working with him again. He is a well-known player and adds to our defensive strength."
https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/1159544586747994112
Following the departure of Laurent Koscielny, Arsenal have found an ideal replacement for the Frenchman in Luiz, someone who has immense experience. The 32-year-old is Arsenal’s 6th signing this summer, the others being Gabriel Martinelli, Dani Ceballos, William Saliba, Nicolas Pepe and Kieran Tierney. He is the 18th footballer who has played for both Chelsea and Arsenal.
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Given the options Arsenal have at centre-back, it goes without saying that Luiz is a smart addition to the squad. This surely will reduce Shkodran Mustafi’s playing time.
Arsenal now have a squad capable of finishing in the Top Four of the Premier League. It will be interesting to see if Emery starts Luiz in Sunday’s match against Newcastle.