Chelsea has turned to a familiar face to add to their defensive stocks, signing David Luiz on deadline day.
Alongside former Fiorentina left-back Marcos Alonso, Luiz has found himself back at Stamford Bridge after leaving just two seasons ago in a big money move to Paris Saint-Germain. It was the final marker on a frustrating but fruitful summer transfer window for the Blues.
'I am looking forward to wearing the blue shirt at Stamford Bridge once again.' – @DavidLuiz_4 pic.twitter.com/Swr2r9BpBB
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 31, 2016
Despite spending a reported £35million pounds on the returning Brazilian, Luiz himself wasn’t anywhere close to Antonio Conte’s primary target at the start of the window – in fact, his name only came into calculations in the last 24 hours. Chelsea had been linked to Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly and Milan’s Alessio Romagnoli, but Conte’s advances were rejected on both counts.
It was one of the most surprising deals of the window, and you could have had a sense of deja vu given Luiz was a deadline day signing for the Blues in January 2011. So what will he offer a markedly different Chelsea side to the one he left in 2014?
For starters, he’ll offer Blues fans a plethora of headaches just like he did in his first spell. Luiz is an enigma: a high-energy centre back who leaves supporters’ hearts in mouths on a regular basis with his desire to drive forward and seemingly occasionally forget about the defensive aspect of his role.
An extrovert, a winner and a character in the dressing room – Luiz brings something Chelsea has been lacking since Didier Drogba departed.
After he won titles aplenty in France and was in the 2014 FIFA Team of the Year, the Blues are also arguably getting back a better player than the one who left.
From the outset, Conte has been linked with a centre back to add to his thin defensive stocks, especially with Kurt Zouma out through injury. As someone who has favoured three central defenders wherever he’s managed, the inclusion of Luiz adds more flexibility to a Chelsea team which has shown a willingness to adapt depending on the game.
A message for Chelsea fans from @DavidLuiz_4! pic.twitter.com/Hhsx6AQTaq
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 31, 2016
One thing which Luiz won’t be is a central midfielder – despite him playing in the role under Rafa Benitez and then under Jose Mourinho, his attributes don’t fit the mould of what Conte is looking for in the heart of the pitch. That nod goes to N’Golo Kante, Chelsea’s earliest summer signing who has proven his worth even at this early stage.
Chelsea has had to wait after its quick-fire start to the transfer window saw the club sign Kante and Michy Batshuayi, with its defence coming under constant question marks. While it had to wait to add Alonso and Luiz, Chelsea may now be eyeing off a different look upon return from the international break.
The inclusion of Alonso seems to suggest a return to right back for Cesar Azpilicueta, making Brainslav Ivanovic handy defensive depth. All of a sudden, the Blues now have the profile to play five at the back – something Conte had made a focus but could not utilise given the personnel at his disposal.
Whether or not the system change is immediate remains to be seen: nonetheless, the four big signings breathes new life into a Chelsea squad which became stagnant and stale following their title win. The two newest signings also won’t have to face the daunting task of settling into a new country at a moment’s notice – both Alonso (Bolton Wanderers, Sunderland) and Luiz have spent considerable time in England.
Luiz may benefit from having more support around him with two central defensive partners, while the jury is still well and truly out on Alonso who has been solid if unspectacular in Serie A. Whether or not he can adjust to the rigours of a Premier League title run-in and forge a starting berth remains to be seen.
Chelsea’s ability to retain Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas may just be its best business of the window, and it gives the Blues plenty of options in the League with no European football to worry about for this season.
The late acquisitions on the final day should be considered a statement of intent for the Blues, compared to the huffing and puffing of last year where they hustled endlessly for John Stones and ended up with Papy Djilobodji. The Blues continued with their seemingly annual quota of loans out, including Djilobodji, Juan Cuadrado and Christian Atsu, and have replaced them with quality in important areas of the pitch.
There’s still some work to go yet, but three straight wins, some shrewd signings and an intense manager should create even further cause for optimism at the Bridge.
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