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French champions Paris St Germain have agreed terms with Chelsea to sign Brazil defender David Luiz (pictured right), the clubs said on Friday. |
“The move is now subject to David Luiz agreeing personal terms with PSG and passing a medical examination,” Premier League club Chelsea said on their website (www.chelseafc.com).
British media reported that the versatile 27-year-old would command a world record fee for a defender of between 40 million ($67.37 million) and 50 million pounds ($84.21 million).
That would surpass the 36 million pounds Qatari-backed PSG paid for Luiz’s Brazil teammate Thiago Silva in 2012 although neither club disclosed the financial terms of their agreement.
The easily recognisible Luiz, with his long and shaggy hair, joined Chelsea in January 2011 from Benfica for about 21 million pounds and helped the west London side win the Champions League for the first time the following year.
Strong, energetic and armed with a powerful shot, Luiz likes to venture forward but can be somewhat erratic and prone to the odd defensive lapse. He has made 143 appearances for Chelsea in nearly three-and-a-half seasons at Stamford Bridge, scoring 12 goals.
PSG said in a statement that they hoped to reach a quick agreement with Luiz, who can also play as a defensive midfielder and is part of Brazil’s World Cup squad for the finals which start next month.
“In accordance with the player’s wish to prepare for and play in the World Cup in his home country and in the best possible conditions, both clubs and David Luiz wished to reach an agreement as soon as possible between, on the one hand, Paris St Germain and Chelsea, and on the other, between the Parisian club and the player in order to formalise the transfer as soon as the transfer window opens (on June 10),” the club said.
PSG, who strolled to the Ligue 1 title but lost to Chelsea in the Champions League quarter-finals, were last week fined up to 60 million euros ($82.23 million) and had their squad capped for next season’s European campaign after breaching UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.
Wealthy Premier League champions Manchester City were hit with the same punishment and as part of their settlement with European soccer’s governing body, both clubs also agreed to curbs on transfer spending over the next two seasons.
Makelele signs Bastia coaching deal
Paris Saint-Germain assistant boss Claude Makelele has finalised a two-year deal to manage Bastia, the Ligue 1 side confirmed on Friday. This will be the 41-year-old former Chelsea, Real Madrid and PSG midfielder’s first full managerial role.
He will arrive in Corsica tomorrow to sign a deal to succeed Frederic Hantz, who in a four-year spell gained Bastia promotion to Ligue 1 with a 10th-place finish last term. Makelele will be assisted by former Bordeaux player Didier Tholot, 50, who coached Ligue 2 Châteauroux from June 2010 to late 2013.
Goalkeeping coach Hervé Sekli will remain and has signed a three-year deal.
Makelele has acted as PSG’s assistant manager since 2011 after his retirement from the pitch where he won the Champions League with Real in 2002, and the Premier League title with Chelsea in 2005 and 2006. He has also won league titles in France with Nantes in 1995 and twice in Spain with Real in 2001 and 2003.
He played 71 times for France, and was part of Raymond Domenech’s side that were beaten on penalties by Italy in the final of the 2006 World Cup. Makelele will be presented to fans and the media on Tuesday. He will have to rebuild at the Corsica side with eleven senior players arriving at the end of the contract or on loan deals.
Aston Villa dismiss Culverhouse
Aston Villa have dismissed assistant manager Ian Culverhouse after an internal investigation which followed his suspension last month. Sky Sports said Culverhouse and head of football operations Gary Karsa, who is believed to have been sacked earlier this month, were dismissed for alleged disciplinary reasons.
The club, however, did not release details of the incident described by owner Randy Lerner as “unexpected issues that could have very easily set the club back”.
Culverhouse joined Wycombe in 2005, one year before the arrival of current Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert, and has since served as his assistant at Colchester United and Norwich City before arriving at Villa Park in 2012. Goalkeeper Shay Given and youth team coach Gordan Cowan were appointed as their replacements on a temporary basis following the incident but Lambert must now begin his search for permanent replacements.