Barcelona’s defensive difficulties were well documented over the summer and coach Martino is on record as saying he will reassess the situation in January, as the Catalan club look for the long-term replacement for Carles Puyol.
A player they have reportedly watched closely is David Luiz of Chelsea, Luiz has been in and out of the Chelsea starting 11 this season and with the return to form of stalwart John Terry, come January the Brazillian defender could well be available. Luiz is not your typical 6′ 4″ Premier League centre half, he is more forward-thinking and confident on the ball and his game would be suited to a foreign league like Serie A or La Liga.
Barcelona, with their emphasis on technical ability, could be a perfect landing place for Luiz but the move does not come without risks on Barcelona’s part.
One week the Brazilian can be magnificent and light up a game, the next week distinctly average and make a horrendous howler and it is this inconsistency which has hindered Luiz for much of his career to date.
He can be seen as rash or a mistake waiting to happen, but there is no denying that Luiz is a talented footballer. Some people even think that he is not a defender at all, but a midfielder and that he should be moved to that position full-time, such is Luiz’s technical ability.
Brazil Manager Luiz Felipe Scolari has admitted to talks with Luiz about the amount of playing time he’s receiving at Chelsea and with the World Cup in his homeland next year, Luiz would obviously rather be playing than not.
Barcelona clearly lack depth at centre back and although Javier Mascherano has performed admirably since being converted to centre back, a partnership of Luiz and Pique could blossom into something special.
Barcelona need to address their main weakness, whether David Luiz is the answer, only time will tell. There’s no denying his talent and with a bit more consistency to his game and the eradication of silly mistakes, they could be getting something special from Luiz.
