Chelsea has inked defender David Luiz for another two years, keeping him at Stamford Bridge through the summer of 2021, the club announced on Friday. The 32-year-old was out of contract this summer, and his future had been in doubt for much of the current campaign.
A Chelsea fan favorite, Luiz first joined Chelsea in the winter of 2011 from Benfica and stayed for three seasons before being sold to Paris Saint-Germain. He was at the Ligue 1 giants for just two seasons before moving back to Chelsea in 2016. Overall, he has made 246 appearances for the Blues across all competitions.
“I am so happy to be here and to have this opportunity to stay,” Luiz said in the official team release. “I love this club and I still have the ambition of a young player. It means a lot to reach another European final, and we still have the opportunity to finish in the top three of the Premier League this season and I will continue to try to do my best to help the team.”
Luiz has been a regular for Chelsea since his return from PSG, making 33 Premier League appearances two season ago plus another 35 this year. He appeared just 10 times in league play last season, but that was due to knee and ankle injuries that hampered him all campaign. His 35 league appearances and three goals in Premier League play this season are both career highs, and his three yellow cards are his second-lowest total for a full league campaign since his first season with Chelsea in 2010/11.
The Brazilian has also been a central figure in Chelsea’s Europa League campaign. While he was absent from the squad in the early portions of the European journey against less threatening opponents, he has earned five starts in the competition, including each of the last three matches. He played the full 120 minutes against Eintracht Frankfurt the last time out, and scored his penalty in the eventual shootout win.