David Luiz gives Conte options

David Luiz’s return to Chelsea in a £30m deal increases the possibility of Antonio Conte playing his favoured formation, writes Adam Bate.

He’s a figure of fun for some but David Luiz can be certain of a warm welcome from Chelsea supporters following his return to the club from Paris Saint-Germain. They appreciate a charismatic character whose passionate playing style has always endeared him to the crowd.

Most of all, it’s the memories shared. After all, this so-called liability was at the heart of the greatest night in the club’s history, even scoring a penalty in the shoot-out as Chelsea won the Champions League in 2012. He lifted the Europa League trophy with the Blues the following year.

Even so, there will be others who do not see Luiz as an ideal fit for Antonio Conte. The defender’s dodgy dossier doesn’t begin and end in a Chelsea shirt. There was the horror show in Belo Horizonte and only last month he made a comical error in PSG’s defeat to Monaco.

Conte boasts a formidable reputation as a defensively-astute tactician whose demands are high. His Juventus team had the best defensive record in Serie A in each of his three seasons in charge. So what is it that the Italian has seen in the 29-year-old that has persuaded him?

Firstly, there are caveats. Conte is understood to have targeted AC Milan’s Alessio Romagnoli and Napoli central defender Kalidou Koulibaly before settling upon Luiz. The man presumed to be the preferred option, Juventus’ Leonardo Bonucci, was out of reach.

Former PSG team-mate Marquinhos might have been a better bet as well, but nevertheless, in signing off on the purchase of Luiz, it’s an …

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