Brazilian defender, David Luiz has finally completed a deal worth £7million to Arsenal in Thursday’s transfer deadline.
Unai Emery has been chasing a central defender all summer and the Arsenal boss has finally got one in the door with Luiz moving from Stamford Bridge to north London.
The Gunners have paid £7m for Luiz, who has signed a two-year deal. The former PSG defender will join his new team-mates but it is not yet known whether he will be in the squad to face Newcastle on Sunday.
The Brazilian will wear the No 23 shirt at the Emirates Stadium, as the next chapter in his career begins. Sportsmail understands Luiz has been an increasingly disruptive figure at the club’s Cobham HQ in recent days, culminating in Wednesday’s surprise development.
‘David has a huge experience and I look forward to working with him again. He is a well-known player and adds to our defensive strength,’ said boss Unai Emery – who managed Luiz at Paris Saint Germain – upon confirmation of the transfer.
Luiz missed Chelsea’s first-team training on Wednesday as he attempted to force through the surprising move on deadline day.
The Gunners have been desperately chasing a new defender throughout the summer transfer window and the need for reinforcements was exacerbated by the departure of Laurent Koscielny.