Luiz Arrival Provides Conte With Further Defensive Flexibility

Transfer deadline day was always going to throw up a surprise or two, but arguably the biggest was David Luiz’s Chelsea switch. The Brazilian returned to Stamford Bridge two years after leaving for PSG on Wednesday, keen to secure further glory in west London. "I'm delighted to return to Chelsea. We had a fantastic story during my first time at the club and I want to help the team and Antonio Conte achieve a lot of success.” Not quite the ‘unfinished business’ soundbite some were hoping for, but Luiz is keen to make a lasting impact upon his move back to England. 

Of course, he was not the club’s first choice centre-back option this summer. Chelsea explored the possibility of signing Leonardo Bonucci, Kalidou Koulibaly and Alessio Romagnoli before contacting PSG over Luiz’s availability and even then, the defender had to inform the club of his desire to depart for the Blues. Yet after a lengthy wait to bolster the defence, on Wednesday manager Antonio Conte finally improved the depth he craved for the backline, first with the arrival of Marcos Alonso and then the return of Luiz. 

A former fan favourite at the club, Chelsea's supporters have largely welcomed Luiz back with open arms. Granted, he’s prone to the odd lapse in concentration and moment of madness, but the Brazil international has the physical attributes required of any centre-back, in that he is athletic and strong. Importantly, though, he has a manager willing to work tirelessly to improve him as a defender. Conte will go to great lengths and beyond in order to ensure the errors in Luiz’s game are eradicated, even at 29 years of age. Take Bonucci’s rise to one of the best centre-backs in Europe as an example of how effective Conte’s methods can be. 

Importantly the arrivals of Alonso and Luiz increase Conte’s options at the back. While the Chelsea boss has instead opted for a four-man defence following his appointment as opposed to the three-man defensive system that many touted upon his appointment, Conte has at his disposal the ideal personnel to revert to the latter should the opportunity arise. While Luiz’s defensive capabilities have been called into question, there is no argument that his ability on the ball is one of his best assets. 

His pass success rate has steadily improved in the last five league seasons, while the Brazilian has earned adulation for the manner with which he brings the ball out of defence. Indeed, 11 accurate through balls was the fifth best return in Ligue 1 since the start of last season and comfortably the best of all defenders. In a four-man backline, however, Chelsea would run the risk of being caught short at the back, as was often the case during his previous stint for the Blues. 

However, at the heart of a three-man defence, Conte could maximise his vision without the real risk of Thibaut Courtois and co. being overawed. In a similar vein to Bonucci for Juventus and Italy, Luiz can step forward and pick a pass from deep, instigating attacks from defence if required. He ranked fourth for accurate long balls (212) of all PSG players in Ligue 1 during his time at the club and with the right defenders alongside him, would be able to step into midfield without the risk of the space left behind being exploited. 

For PSG this was unlikely to be the case given the French side’s sheer dominance in France’s top tier, though he won’t be afforded that luxury back in the Premier League. With John Terry and Gary Cahill Conte’s only other fit centre-back options at the time of writing, it’s also unlikely he would call upon a three-man defence given the pair’s lack of pace, though with Kurt Zouma on the mend and Andreas Christensen returning from loan at the end of the season, Conte could explore the possibility of a move to a three-man defence given the pair’s speed over the ground, with Luiz in the middle of the three.

The capture of Alonso also suggests the deployment of wing-backs rather than full-backs is a possibility, with the Spaniard well-versed in the demands that come with playing the role during his time with Fiorentina. It's this flexibility that comes with the deadline day acquisitions of Luiz and Alonso that could prove vital to Conte in the coming weeks and months. The former is able to play in defence and midfield, while the latter can operate at left wing-back, left-back or centre-back if required. 

Both may not have been at the top of Conte’s wish list upon his appointment, but the pair provide the necessary defensive adaptability that the Blues boss requires, allowing for him to alter his system as and when he sees fit. Luiz has rightly drawn his critics for some questionable defensive outings in the past, but bolsters Conte’s squad nonetheless.

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