David Luiz has signed a new 2-year contract at Chelsea after enjoying a fine season at the heart of the Blues’ defence.

The Brazilian’s former contract was scheduled to expire at the end of this season.

His experience, determination and leadership, coupled with his ability on the ball, have made him a key figure within Maurizio Sarri’s system and he will be looking for a third European final success with the Blues at the end of the month.

Luiz said: ‘I am so happy to be here and to have this opportunity to stay. I love this club and I still have the ambition of a young player.

‘It means a lot to reach another European final, and we still have the opportunity to finish in the top three of the Premier League this season and I will continue to try to do my best to help the team.’

On her part, the Stamford club director Marina Granovskaia added: ‘We are delighted David Luiz will be staying with the club.

‘He has set the perfect example to those around him throughout the campaign and been a huge influence on and off the pitch.

‘With the Europa League final still to come, we hope to finish off the season with silverware and David will be central to that success in Baku and beyond.’

David Luiz has had an impressively consistent campaign, highlighted by his 35 league appearances, his most ever, and the knowledge that only Liverpool and Manchester City have kept more clean sheets in the Premier League than Chelsea.

Reports in Spain claim that the mother of Ajax captain Matthijs de Ligt has told reporters that Barcelona ‘are a good club’ amid speculation on her son’s future.

The 19-year-old has been the captain of the Amsterdam-based club for over a year and has starred for club and country.

Widely regarded as one of the best upcoming talents in world football, the central defender is set to command a €75m fee from Ajax, reports Football Espana.

Juventus and Bayern Munich are also in the mix for the sensational defender.

“Barcelona? They are a good club,” Vivian de Ligt told a team of Cuatro reporters, as cited by El Mundo Deportivo.

“It is a very important decision.”

There has been hope at the Catalan club that the €85m agreement with Ajax teammate Frenkie de Jong would help persuade his compatriot to join the Camp Nou.

There are reports in England that Manchester United are set to land Swansea winger Daniel James, after turning to the Wales international as an alternative to Jadon Sancho.

According to the Daily Mirror, the England starlet, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s No.1 summer target, is not keen on a £100million switch with no Champions League football on offer at Old Trafford next season.

Now Solskjaer has turned his attention to James, after the 21-year-old starred for Graham Potter’s side in the Championship.

United have muscled in ahead of Everton, Newcastle and Leeds to table the £15million offer for James.

Swansea are believed to be happy with the offer for James, whose Swans deal ends in June 2020, and the player is also keen on United’s interest.

United have moved for James because of his sparkling first full season with Swansea in the Championship, with the winger also forcing his way into the senior Wales squad – notching the winner against Slovakia in March.

That has seen him tipped for a big future by boss Ryan Giggs.

“He’s a talent,” said Giggs in March. “When you’ve got that raw pace, you’re a threat at any level so as a winger, obviously for me playing as a winger, when I was younger, you then have to develop the other parts of your game which I feel he is doing.

“He’s played up front as well which will help him because that gives you an appreciation of what you need to do.”

James’ form for the Swans in the second half of the season, including a number of impressive displays during their run to the FA Cup quarter-final, saw scouts flock to the Liberty Stadium.

It came after James had looked set to join Leeds United in January in a structured £10million deal.

The Yorkshire-born James spent the day at Elland Road and had agreed personal terms and passed a medical before then-Swansea chairman Huw Jenkins pulled the plug at the last minute.

Jenkins was unhappy with the terms of the deal which would have seen James join Leeds on loan before buying him this summer.

Swansea’s American owners were furious with Jenkins because they wanted to raise as much as cash as possible in January and he resigned 24 hours later.

Maurizio Sarri has identified the “strong cultural differences” he has found at Chelsea at a major challenge when he arrived the Stamford Bridge.

The Italian gaffer has guided the London to Europa League final after defeating Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties, and are billed to face fellow Premier League club Arsenal on the 29th May.

“It’s not easy, because you run into some pretty strong cultural differences, in terms of mentality, food and doing things, so to a degree you have to show respect and adapt, which means cutting down on training sessions,” Sarri told Sky Sport Italia.

“English players are accustomed to playing continually. It’s a high level, it’s not so different a style of football from ours now, seeing as almost all the Coaches here are Italian, Spanish, French and German, so they are starting to play a more tactically-evolved style, but while maintaining the intensity and tempo of English football.

“It is on the one hand troubling to play so many games, but on the other, it does turn me on. I enjoy it, there’s a real adrenaline boost. Also, if some of these players have a week to rest, they play worse.

“On a purely tactical level, I am really disappointed that I haven’t been able to work on the defensive line as much, because tonight’s Eintracht goal was entirely avoidable.

“There are many players in England who are talented, but they like to hold the ball, so it takes a while to get them to move it quicker and pass it more often.

“They also have these forwards who have a very specific way of attacking and it’s difficult to get them to change their ways. They want the ball passed right to their feet and often go into one-on-one situations. At that point, it’s counter-productive to force them to go against their nature.

“Clearly, Chelsea have more individualistic players than ones who will follow a system like at Napoli.”

Sarri has been linked with a return to Italy and was asked if that was on the cards.

“At the moment, no.”

Reports in Spain claim Barcelona are open to selling 10 of their first-team squad players this summer in an attempt to overhaul their squad.

According to Diario AS, Samuel Umtiti, Philippe Coutinho and Ivan Rakitic are the three most high-profile players who have been identified by the club as being sellable.

Those three players are seen as taking up disproportionately high wages with none seen as regular first-team starters for next season onwards, reports Football Espana.

Umtiti is behind Clement Lenglet and Gerard Pique in the pecking order, Coutinho is second fiddle to Ousmane Dembele while Frenkie de Jong looks set to displace Rakitic.

The Blaugrana are also keen on recouping their fee on winger Malcom – a €41m arrival last summer who has started just four La Liga games – this summer.

Bit-part players Jasper Cillessen, Thomas Vermaelen and Rafinha Alcantara are all available for transfer too due to lack of first-team minutes and concerns over fitness on the latter two.

In addition, current loanees Kevin-Prince Boateng and Jeison Murillo will both return to parent clubs Sassuolo and Valencia respectively, while January arrival Jean-Clair Todibo may be moved on with a buyback option.

Photo Credit: fcbarcelona