Following the news that Carles Puyol will be leaving, Barca will step up their pursuit of the Brazilian defender…
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Barcelona could move for Chelsea’s Brazilian centre-half David Luiz when the transfer window opens this summer, reports the Telegraph.
The Spanish giants are preparing a £25m offer for the 26-year-old defender, after legendary Catalan figure Carles Puyol announced that he would be leaving the Nou Camp at the end of the season, BBC Sport revealed.
Puyol was contracted until 2016, but due to his constant problems with injuries, he agreed to cancel the agreement so he could move on this summer.
Barcelona arguably needed central defensive improvements anyway, with inexperienced Marc Barta the only natural defensive partner for Gerard Pique. Javier Mascherano (and sometimes Alex Song) are usually played alongside Pique at the back, but both are more comfortable as midfield anchor men, and neither are very good in the air.
The move seems to make sense to both parties, with David Luiz struggling for game time this season behind the superb partnership of John Terry and Gary Cahill at Stamford Bridge. The English pair have the Premier League’s best defensive record, and it’s unlikely that David Luiz will be able to force his way back into the side before the season ends. The South American (who is expected to start for Brazil alongside Thiago Silva at this summer’s World Cup) has only started 13 of 28 Premier League matches, and four of these appearances have been from central midfield anyway.
While Jose Mourinho would likely prefer to keep David Luiz, he will understand that he can’t stand in the way of a top class player’s demands for first-team football.
The Brazilian is technically exceptional, and would seemingly fit perfectly into Barcelona’s free-flowing, possession brand of football. David Luiz is extremely comfortable with the ball at his feet, and he is happy to carry the ball into the midfield and start attacks from deep – as Barcelona would no doubt demand him to. His physicality has been occasionally questioned in England, but this would be less of a problem in La Liga.
Chelsea have young French centre-half Kurt Zouma arriving in the summer from St. Etienne, so could have David Luiz’s ready made replacement already lined up.
With the World Cup starting in June though, both parties (and Barcelona especially) would be keen to tie up a deal before the tournament got under way.
If a move were to materialise, here’s how the Chelsea ace could line up in a Barcelona team next season:
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