If David Luiz does leave, Chelsea must replace him with Virgil van Dijk

If rumours of a David Luiz departure in the January transfer window are true, then Chelsea should go all out to sign Virgil van Dijk to replace him.

David Luiz has found it tough in recent weeks, spending a vast amount of time on the sidelines. Although he has been suffering with injury, it appears there’s more to it than that. Rumours of a bust up with Antonio Conte – not to mention Andreas Christensen’s form – could signal the end of his time with Chelsea.

The Evening Standard are reporting that the Brazilian centre back could be moving on to another English side.

"Newcastle United have joined the race to sign Chelsea defender David Luiz next month, but are only interested in a loan deal. Luiz’s future at Stamford Bridge is uncertain due to his relationship with coach Antonio Conte. Arsenal are looking into buying a centre half next month and have been linked with a £30m move for the Brazilian. – via Evening Standard"

The links with Newcastle appear farcical, but the move to Arsenal could have some substance. The Nemanja Matic sale to Manchester United last summer shows that Chelsea are not afraid to sell to a Premier League team. Most Chelsea fans would rather he moved abroad, but a domestic deal wouldn’t cause as much as anger as the Matic one. David Luiz is a great player but he’s unlikely to change Arsenal from a top-four contender to a title contender.

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If the Luiz transfer does go through then Chelsea must replace him in January. With Chelsea constantly playing three central defenders, only having one substitute going into the second half of the season is unacceptable (Cesar Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen, Gary Cahill, Antonio Rudiger).

Chelsea should then go all out for Virgil van Dijk. The Dutch centre-back was left on the bench in the recent match against Chelsea, prompting rumours of his departure to resurface again. It looked as if he was destined to leave last summer, with a whole host of clubs after his signature, but the move never materialised.

When Antonio Conte was asked recently about the possibility of signing the Southampton defender, he certainly didn’t rule it out.

"I do not talk about other players but I like him as a player. He has a had a bad injury and come back well. He is quality and I wish him all the best in the future, that’s all I want to say. – via Express"

With the emergence and form of Andreas Christensen, and the constant excellence of Cesar Azpilicueta, it’s likely that Virgil van Dijk would be battling with Gary Cahill and Antonio Rudiger for the third centre back spot. His performances last season showed that he would be a step above those two and would complete a powerful and solid back-three for the Blues. With Chelsea competing in four competitions, all five would see plenty of minutes to make sure all stay fresh until May.

When comparing the current centre backs with Van Dijk, it’s clear to see what he offers, averaging considerably more clearances and winning more aerial duels than any of Chelsea’s current centre-backs. Cesar Azpilicueta has the best stats for tackling of the six, while Andreas Christensen boasts the best passing accuracy. Virgil van Dijk would bring a physicality to the Chelsea defence, whilst also being excellent on the ball.

With both Manchester City and Liverpool also linked with a move in January, Chelsea will need to act fast to secure their man.

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Do you agree? Would Virgil van Dijk be a decent impressive? Let us know in the comments below!