David Luiz closing in on his next destination
Robin Bairner
- 16 Jun 2021 15:25 BST
- 3 min read
David Luiz, who was released by Arsenal at the end of his contract, remains a player coveted in the footballing world.
The Brazil international defender gained a reputation for being error prone during his time in England with Chelsea and Arsenal yet played 73 times for the Gunners in a two-year spell and featured on nearly 250 occasions for the Blues over a couple of different spells.
Indeed, David Luiz was even the world’s most expensive defender for a time as he made a €49.5 million move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Such a wealth of experience means that clubs still see him as an asset to covet, and according to L’Equipe both Benfica and Marseille are interested in the centre-back.
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Marseille<.b> are in the midst of a squad overhaul, with numerous players set to leave and up to 12 arriving.
The heart of the OM defence is one area that particularly needs addressed, with negotiations ongoing between Marseille and Borussia Dortmund for Leonardo Balerdi. While the German press reports an agreement is done, the belief in France is that no deal is in place.
Furthermore, Duje Caleta-Car, who turned out for Croatia against England in Euro 2020, is subject to interest in the Premier League and is expected to depart in the summer.
William Saliba, a former club-mate of David Luiz at Arsenal, is also on OM’s shortlist with the hope a loan can be agreed.
David Luiz back to Benfica?
Links suggesting that David Luiz could return to Benfica, where he made his big breakthrough after starting his career at Vitoria in Brazil’s third tier, also appear to be credible.
David Luiz was a favourite in Lisbon, where he beat Angel Di Maria to the Portuguese Liga Player of the Year award in 2010.
Not only do Benfica have a shortage of defenders, but they are coached by Jorge Jesus, who led the club during the 2009/10 campaign in which David Luiz was at his peak.
