A new lease of life? Chelsea’s £120,000-a-week superstar could hit top form under Maurizio Sarri

A resurgent Luiz could be a crucial figure under Sarri

Chelsea will be hoping to make a strong start under new manager Maurizio Sarri, who arrived just last month. The Italian brought Napoli midfielder Jorginho along with him. The Blues endured a dismal campaign last time out, which saw the club finish 5^th in the league but win the FA Cup.

Sarri will now be faced with the immediate task of taking the Blues back into the top-4. Chelsea have not signed anyone apart from Jorginho, though a number of their players have been linked with exits since the arrival of the new manager.

Stamford Bridge is at the risk of losing both Thibaut Courtois and Willian to Real Madrid, who are plotting a mega-money move for the duo.

But one man who is more than willing to commit himself to the club is Brazilian defender David Luiz, who currently earns £120,000-a-week at Stamford Bridge. The former PSG centre-back barely played under Conte last season but has reiterated his desire to play for Sarri.

Luiz is reportedly excited to work under Sarri. He has started the Italian’s first two games in charge and has been given a new lease of life under him.

Luiz returned to Chelsea for a reported fee of around £32million in 2016. The defender previously enjoyed a fruitful spell with the Blues and was initially impressive on his return.

But the 31-year-old endured a drop in form under Antonio Conte’s methods which kept him out of the side last season. The emergence of Andreas Christensen and the signing of Antonio Rudiger further ensured Luiz barely saw the pitch.

He made a total of just 10 appearances in the Premier League last season, scoring 1 goal. Luiz had made a total of 33 appearances in the season before. He was a regular in the side and one of their most consistent defenders. He is a tough tackler and an energetic runner who barely shows any signs of fatigue.

Luiz is also a major threat going forward and he provides an extra element in the attack with his set-piece prowess and aerial ability. The defender is known for scoring a number of sublime free-kicks during his time at the Bridge.

Read more: Opinion: Chelsea’s £58m star might have struggled last season, but Sarri will get the best out of him

Under Sarri, Luiz would receive more freedom to push forward and attack. This would largely benefit the defender, given that he was more restricted under Antonio Conte.

Sarri could utilise Luiz very well. The former PSG defender could become a crucial figure under the Italian next season.