David Luiz is close to signing a deal with Barcelona, bringing an end to his three-year stay with the English giants, according to a report in the Daily Star.

Luiz made the big money move to Chelsea from Benfica as a strong centre back who was known for his ruthless attitude to defending. The charismatic defender has proven to be versatile all across the park, and has worked on different aspects of his game that one would normally not associate with a centre half. His free-kick taking prowess has been an additional asset to the starting eleven. This naturally meant his long range efforts on the ball have been spectacular, and Luiz can contribute as an attacker if the team needs one late in the game. However, due to his multitasking on the pitch, his positioning has suffered, and Luiz has faced criticism for not taking his primary task of defending as seriously as his other strengths.

On the international front, Luiz has been an active participant in the squad through the pre-world cup campaign, leading the back-line with Paris St. Germain defender Thiago Silva another regular starter. The report suggests the move will be announced after the World Cup ends on July 12th in Rio de Janeiro but reports suggest that Pep’s Bayern Munich side are also about to enter the fray and place a serious bid for Luiz as Guardiola is a serious admirer and wants the Brazilian to join his German champions and is prepared to bid the necessary fee to get his man. Luiz will have an interesting choice to make it seems, if Mourinho is ready to let the centre-half leave Stanford Bridge – something we hope does not happen as he is special player and should stay with the Blues at all costs.