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Sarri suffers blow as star defender set to leave Chelsea on a free transfer

Luiz lost his first-team berth last season to fellow defender Christensen under Conte and ahead of the current season, many expected Luiz would be sold.

Maurizio Sarri

Kolkata, December 28: Chelsea defender David Luiz will leave the club on a free transfer in the summer after manager Maurizio Sarri failed to convince the board to offer him a new contract topping their transfer policy.

Luiz lost his first-team berth last season to fellow defender Christensen under Conte and ahead of the current season, many expected Luiz would be sold.

However, Sarri's arrival from Napoli again saw the defender slotting directly into the first team set-up becoming a mainstay for the Blues.

But the 30-year-old Brazilian defender is out of contract in the summer and because of Chelsea's policy of only offering players aged 30 or over one-year extensions, he has reportedly declined an extension.

Sarri hoped that the defender would be offered a better contract by Chelsea before he leaves on a free transfer in 2019, but the club's hierarchy has snubbed their manager's requests.

The centre-back is reportedly willing to commit his future only with a one-year contract extension, but with Chelsea adamant on their system, the player now might leave the side in summer as a free agent.

Along with Luiz, another senior player, Cesc Fabregas could also leave the side but is expected to be sold during the January transfer window amid transfer interest from Italian giants AC Milan.

Fabregas also has only six months remaining in his deal and is not willing to commit a future with just a one-year extension. Moreover, with the midfielder only getting a backup role in the squad he is now willing to jump the ship as soon as in January.

Apart from them, Chelsea are also in planning to sell three of their fringe players, Danny Drinkwater, Victor Moses and Davide Zapacosta in January to fund a move for a forward and attacking player.

Story first published: Friday, December 28, 2018, 14:44 [IST]
Other articles published on Dec 28, 2018