Roman Abramovich proved that he isn’t growing tired of life at Stamford Bridge in emphatic fashion by bolstering the reigning champions’ squad with two new faces on Monday‘s Transfer Deadline Day, splashing out over £70 million in the process. We are all familiar with the more expensive of these signings, Fernando Torres, but the other recruit, David Luiz, is far from a household name on these shores and his arrival has been somewhat understated in comparison.
The Brazilian defender joined from Benfica in a deal reported to be worth £21.4 million and has been awarded the number four shirt. Manager Carlo Ancelotti commented on his new arrival:
“He has fantastic quality as a defender so he won’t have a problem because he has experience in the Champions League this season. ”
The Statistics
After some meagre years at Esporte Clube Vitória in Brazil making 26 appearances for the club, where he played in both attacking and defensive midfield positions which proved less than successful, Luiz was switched to central defence where he caught the eye of Portuguese side Benfica.
He moved to Benfica initially on loan, but impressed enough to gain a permanent deal in 2007, signing a five year contract. His first couple of seasons were blighted with injury and form as well as Benfica manager Quique Flores’s insistence on playing him at left-back, instead of his favoured central position.
It was the 2009/10 season where things really took off for Luiz; stationed in the heart of the back four, he formed a great understanding with fellow Brazilian Luisao. During the season Luiz racked-up 29 appearances, scoring 2 goals. Luiz’s form helped Benfica claim their first Portuguese League trophy in five years as well as winning the League Cup. Such was his form, the player picked-up the Portuguese League Footballer of the Year Award and became a fan’s favourite, earning the nickname the ‘Sheriff’, as well as the establishment of his own Lisbon fan club. In total Luiz made 82 appearances for Benfica in the Portuguese League and scored 4 goals.
The Prospects
Currently sitting in fourth place (10 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester United) Chelsea are certainly in need of a boost. Title rivals Wayne Rooney and Arsene Wenger both expect the two new signings to do just that and haven’t written off Chelsea’s chances of regaining the Premier League crown. Rooney is fully aware of the ability of Ancelotti’s side:
“They are a big, strong side and we know if anyone is capable of going on a run it is them.”
Despite the fact the club have won their last three Premier League games, they showed their defensive frailties once again against Sunderland by shipping 2 goals and the jury is still out on the current form of John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic. Luiz looks set to take his place in the centre of Chelsea’s defence immediately, forming a partnership with Terry, with Branislav Ivanovic left battling it out with Jose Bosingwa for a place at right-back.
As mentioned previously, although primarily a central defender Luiz has the ability to play across the back four and in midfield. Indeed, just today, Luiz has expressed not only his desire to start his Chelsea career but also made it clear that he is prepared to play in a number of roles.
“I hope I can play quickly, and I feel 100 percent to play tomorrow if I need to, there is no problem with my fitness…I want to help the team in whichever way Mr Ancelotti wants me to do, wherever in the team, as long as I am on the field I am happy. I am most comfortable in the centre but can play on the side also.”
Luiz is extremely unlikely to oust Ashley Cole from left-back or one of the more established midfielders, but if necessary the versatile Luiz can fill-in where needed and Ancelotti clearly admires this quality:
“He can play from the back with top quality because he is also a midfielder plus in all the positions of the back four.”
Significantly, as we pointed out on his arrival at Chelsea, Luiz is not eligible for Chelsea’s Champions League ties. That would make him far more likely to earn starts before and after European ties, making it all the more likely that he’ll get opportunities to cement his role in the starting XI.
With uncertainty surrounding the team’s forthcoming fixtures, our earlier article explains the complicated situation and postponement, now might not be the best time to bring in any Chelsea players. But priced at a very reasonable 6.0 in the FPL game, Luiz could be a good prospect in the coming weeks and looking forward to Gameweek 28 and the following fixtures (blp, MCY, stk, WIG, wba, WHM), apart from a testing home clash with Manchester City, you wouldn‘t expect the side to concede too many goals in what looks to be a critical run of games.
