- Chelsea defender David Luiz looks set to leave the club in January
- Report values the Brazilian centre-half at £23m
- Juventus favourites to land his signature, Mourinho could still swoop
- READ MORE: Major Chelsea transfer boost, £70m-rated target edges closer to January move
Having lost his place in Antonio Conte’s line-up, Chelsea defender David Luiz is reportedly set to leave Stamford Bridge in the January transfer window.
The 30-year-old has missed the last eight Premier League games, with a knee injury being the official line from the club. However, he was dropped from the squad to face Man Utd on November 5 after a reported fallout with Conte, as per The Sun.
Conte reacted angrily during the week in his pre-match press conference ahead of the win over Southampton as he suggested that he would organise a separate media conference with the Chelsea medical staff who will confirm that Luiz is indeed injured.
However, it hasn’t been enough to convince entirely that Luiz has a future in west London, with The Mirror reporting that he could leave in the New Year with a £23m price-tag not putting off Juventus.
Man Utd are also mentioned as Jose Mourinho could choose to bring in back-up after Eric Bailly’s injury setback, although with Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Marcos Rojo and Victor Lindelof still at his disposal, it seems a little unnecessary to spend big on a central defender in January.
Perhaps the bigger problem for Luiz when he returns from injury is that youngster Andreas Christensen has taken his spot in the starting line-up and will be difficult to displace having impressed thus far.
That would also suggest that a Chelsea exit might be the most sensible decision for him, with Juve potentially looking for reinforcements following Leonardo Bonucci’s exit this past summer, while Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli aren’t getting any younger.
Daniele Rugani and Medhi Benatia are crucial, but perhaps Luiz’s experience, defensive soundness and attacking qualities could be needed in Turin still.