David Luiz to Leave Chelsea on a Free Transfer Despite Objection From Maurizio Sarri

Chelsea defender David Luiz will leave the club on a free transfer in the summer despite requests from head coach Maurizio Sarri to offer the Brazilian a new

Chelsea defender David Luiz will leave the club on a free transfer in the summer despite requests from head coach Maurizio Sarri to offer the Brazilian a new contract in west London.

The 31-year-old was on the periphery of Antonio Conte's squad last season and many expected Luiz would be sold ahead of this season. But Sarri's arrival from S.S.C. Napoli has seen the Brazilian once again become a first team regular for the Blues.

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Sarri hoped that the defender would be offered a new contract by Chelsea before he leaves on a free transfer in 2019, but The Times (via the Express) claims the club's hierarchy have snubbed their manager's requests.

This is because of a policy which the chiefs at Stamford Bridge are now enforcing regarding players over the age of 30, where they will only offer players one-year extension deals if they're nearing the end of their contract.

Former Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fàbregas is also in the same boat as Luiz, although the Spaniard is expected to be sold during the January transfer window amid transfer interest from Italian giants AC Milan.

Luiz has made 18 appearances in the Premier League this season - only Antonio Rüdiger (19) has more - as well as having a handful of run-outs during Chelsea's Carabao Cup campaign.

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Following two separate spells at Chelsea, Luiz has now made a total of 220 appearances for the west London outfit. He spent three years at the club following a move from Benfica in 2011, before returning from Paris Saint-Germain in 2016.