David Luiz claims to have rejected the offer of a new contract in favour of leaving Stamford Bridge for Paris St Germain this summer.
The Brazilian international may have split opinions during his time in English football, but there is little doubt he can look back on his spell in the capital with no small satisfaction. Having joined from Benfica in January 2011 for £25million, he went on to help the Blues in the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League and the FA Cup.
But when Paris St Germain offered to pay £40million for his signature ahead of the current season, the transfer was completed before the World Cup. It is widely accepted that Chelsea did well to receive such a fee for a player who was far from assured of a first team place, with Jose Mourinho using him just 19 times in the Premier League last term.
However, Luiz has now claimed that the Portuguese coach was reluctant to see him leave for France, and would instead have preferred to keep him as part of his plans at Stamford Bridge. The 27-year-old, though, claims he had his heart set on a switch to the Parc des Princes, and even rejected the chance to extend his stay in London to make the move.
“Chelsea offered me a new contract to stay but it was my choice to come here,” he told Globo Esporte. “I was happy with the plan PSG offered to me and I think it was exactly the right moment to move. I was so happy at Chelsea, I won two European titles and the FA Cup, it was great for me. I’m a lucky guy. I was playing for a big club like Chelsea and now I’ve got another opportunity to play for another big club. I’m enjoying it here.”
Luiz has played six times in Ligue 1 for reigning champions PSG, who are currently unbeaten but seven points behind current leaders Marseille. He has also started in both of their Champions League matches, including the memorable 3-2 win over Spanish giants Barcelona last week, in which he opened the scoring on 10 minutes.
Had Luiz stayed at Chelsea, do you think he would have got into their first team this season? Let us know your thoughts by joining in the discussion below.
