David Luiz has for the second time in months talked up a return to Benfica, while Arsenal are strongly linked with a number of defensive targets.
There has been plenty of speculation linking our club strongly with a move to sign another defender in the coming window, one that I had mostly considered as nonsense due to our overflowing array of options at present.
I was of the belief that with a permanent deal for Pablo Mari highly likely, paired with the impending arrival of William Saliba from St Etienne, that we would in fact need to offload defenders.
Should reports prove to be that Luiz, who has very much been our first choice of all our options this season, should opt to leave this summer, we may in fact need another first-team alternative.
The Brazilian has moved to declare his love for Benfica for the second time since the Coronavirus, whilst reiterating his desire to return, and our club may well have been preparing over the previous months for this.
Luiz said: “I always said that I would like to end my career at Benfica.
“In football everything changes, what is true today, tomorrow is a lie, but my feeling is not! I love Benfica.
“My dream is to step on the pitch of Estadio da Luz in their colours.
“For all that I lived and felt, for what Benfica is in my life and in my history, for everything, Benfica is bigger than any player.”
Our club has been linked strongly with the likes of Axel Disasi, Samuel Umtiti, Dayot Upamecano and a number of others, but I was struggling to believe there was any room for more additions before offloading some of our squad players, with the likes of Sokratis, Shkodran Mustafi and one of Rob Holding or Calum Chambers also.
Could Luiz be considering quitting this summer? Could our qualification for the Europa or Champions League convince him otherwise?
Patrick
The question is… would Benfica have him back?!! 😀 haha!
Seriously, l do like him, yes I know he’s partial to a brain fart now and then, but he’s definitely captain material..
I expect him to see out his contract, then leave on a free. Yes we’ve been linked with all and bleedin’ sundry as far as centre backs go, but with Saliba and Mari (surely we’ll buy him, right?), there really are other areas which need
sorting!
Looking forward for Mari and cederic long term commitment
Although he has been fantastic for Chelsea this season, I would let him go.
😂😂😂
Like you Sue I expect him to see out his contract with Arsenal.Looking further ahead,Luis to me could well step into Management when his playing career is over.I am impressed with his character and attitude and on the few occasions I have seen him interviewed on TV he strikes me as a very intelligent ,articulate individual who seems to have the respect of his collegues.Who knows he could be a future Arsenal Manager.
I don’t often disagree with you Grandad but on this I do and the whole way. I do not see him as a future manager . He is bright for sure but he is a loose cannon in my view and unreliable not merely on the field either. I badly want him to leave before next season and simply cannot ever rate any defender who makes so MANY costly mistakes, as he has done for his whole career.
Our club has almost forgotten what it was like to have reliable and quality CBs and we need him OUT if we are to even start regaining that one time reputation we had for strong and reliable defenders. We also badly need Sokratis and Mustafi out too.
If I were forced to keep one of those mistake ridden three, it would be Mustafi but only if FORCED. We should not have spent all that money on Pepe and instead have bought quality defenders a year ago. I do not see Arteta repeating the constant mistakes of the last ten plus years with defence.
i think david luiz to stay because is improving and recovering for some silly mistake does on the pitch.
John ,I agree wholeheartedly with your views on Luis the player,Mustafi and Socratis but I get the impression that Arteta feels Luis is a very good influence on the team particularly on the younger players.Personally I would never have considered buying him.The guy impresses me as a Man who has a real interest and knowledge of the game and he is someone who has the stature to gain the respect of players which is an essential ingredient for a football Manager.
GRANDAD. PLEASE DON’T MISUNDERTAND WHAT I SAY ABOVE. I too see him as a man who carries clout but if you look back at his whole career he has had a chequered time for someone who does have talent. His misfortune was to have been wrongly played as a central defender when his instincts are not truly those of a defender at all. It is too late now to alter that and so I want him gone.
He of course may well be a manager one day but I do not see the same steely drive in him as I clearly see in Pep, Klopp, Arteta and such as Dyche too. Just my take though. By the way , my name is JON, not John.
Sorry Jon.
He is a very good ball playing CB than a defensive beast which i think is his main problem