- Arsenal linked with swoop for Chelsea ace David Luiz
- Report claims Gunners are leading the race to sign Brazilian international
- Remains to be seen if Chelsea willing to allow him to join a rival
- READ MORE: Alexis Sanchez gets brutally trolled by Arsenal teammate amid talk of dressing room unrest
A surprise claim has been made that Arsenal are pushing ahead with a move to sign Chelsea defender David Luiz, and are favourites to do so.
The Brazilian international was reportedly dropped by Antonio Conte ahead of a meeting with Man Utd in November, as per Sky Sports, but a knee injury has since kept him sidelined.
While he’s said to be on the verge of returning from that setback, it remains to be seen whether or not he’s reintegrated back into the line-up immediately or not, or if Conte will add fuel to the fire in terms of speculation linking Luiz with an exit from Stamford Bridge.
To make matters more complicated for the former PSG star, Andreas Christensen has stepped in during his absence and impressed, and given he’s the younger option, he could be seen as a fundamental piece in Chelsea’s future with Luiz now falling down the pecking order.
As a result, The Express claim that Arsenal are now seriously looking into the possibility of signing Luiz, although the report rightly adds that it’s unclear as to whether Chelsea would be willing to allow him to move to a direct rival.
The Mirror reported earlier this month that the Blues ace would likely command a transfer fee of around £30m if he were to leave.
With Per Mertesacker set to retire at the end of the season, coupled with youngsters Calum Chambers and Rob Holding not entirely convincing to this point, it could force Arsene Wenger to consider his options on the market.
Luiz would certainly bring plenty of experience, quality and a winning mentality to the Emirates, but it’s also questionable as to whether such a move would appeal to him having been competing for major honours with Chelsea in recent seasons.
It’s a difficult one to see happen, but the report suggests that Arsenal are the front-runners at this point, with Juventus also keeping tabs on the defensive ace.