By David Lee Wheatley
Barcelona have today put in an official bid for Chelsea central defender David Luiz, which has been rejected initially by the west London club.
The Brazilian has long been linked to a switch to the Nou Camp, but Jose Mourinho appears keen to keep him.
Incoming Barcelona head coach Gerardo Martino earmarked the versatile 26-year-old as vital to his strategy on arrival at the club, but the reported £35million on the table hasn't tempted the Blues to sell as yet.
David Luiz fits into the Barcelona way perfectly with his marauding runs from defence, attacking capabilities in the opposition box from set-pieces and undoubted skill on the ball. It's true that his insistence on going forward can sometimes leave a hole in defensive areas, but his ability far outweighs the disadvantages of having him in the side.
Returning Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho had to bat away questions over the future of Luiz during the first few weeks of his second tenure by stating several times that the Brazil international is part of his plans, but there's been an overriding feeling that Chelsea would be willing to listen to offers if the Portuguese tactician could secure a worthy replacement.
The next step is to see if Barca come back with an improved bid for the player who only signed a new five-year contract last September at Stamford Bridge and if so, it'll be intriguing to hear the response.
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