David Luiz has revealed negotiations with Chelsea over his stay at the west London club are ongoing, with his current deal set to expire next summer.
Luiz played an impressive part at the heart of the Blues defence as they thumped Man City last Saturday, helping Maurizio Sarri’s side to a clean sheet while also netting a sublime header to cap off a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge. Having been offered a one-year contract extension by the Chelsea hierarchy, the centreback has revealed that he is yet to sign the offer with negotiations still ongoing.
The Blues have adopted a policy of offering just one-year extensions to players aged over 30 with the 31-year-old Brazilian afforded no exception. While Sarri has reiterated his desire to have the contract talks with Luiz swiftly resolved, Luiz has revealed that he is happy to bide his time during the negotiations before deciding on his future.
“I am just trying to enjoy myself, like I do every single day,” said the Brazilian centreback. “Then, for sure, we will do the best thing for me, for Chelsea, for everybody. We are still talking, let’s see. Let’s see what the future brings. I love this club, everybody knows I want to stay.”
While the Blues star has been the target of critics after indifferent displays in defence, against Man City, Luiz rose to the occasion, performing admirably in the middle of the backline for Chelsea as they shut out the Citizens. Interestingly, however, Luiz reveals he would have preferred to play against Sergio Aguero, who missed the match through injury, instead of Raheem Sterling, who played as a No10 with licence to roam.
“It’s better when you have a reference than without,” added the Brazil international. “It’s always more difficult when you don’t have a reference. But it’s not just about one player.”
Their win over Pep Guardiola’s side not only took them up to fourth place in the Premier League table but also dropped the Citizens into second place and Luiz now hopes that their most impressive win to date will cause a major upturn in their performances.
“I hope we hurt them [Manchester City] and we can move up the table and be closer to them,” continued the Brazilian. “At the moment they are the best team in the world, more than three years together. It is never easy to play against them, but I think we had the right humility and right plan to win the game.”
