Picking a Barcelona Starting XI to Accommodate David Luiz

Barcelona have made an official bid to bring Chelsea defender David Luiz to Camp Nou.

According to this report on the BBC Sport website, the offer is thought to be cash only and does not involve an exchange of Barcelona players as part of the deal. 

Chelsea look set to reject the offer, said to be in the region of £35 million, as reported by Jack de Menezes of the Independent.

The Catalan side have a long-term interest in Luiz, who has been at Stamford Bridge since January 2011.

Although the Brazil international has four years remaining on his current contract, he is thought to be keen on a move to Barca, should the opportunity arise.

Jose Mourinho has stated that there is "no chance" that he will sell Luiz, as reported by the Telegraph’s Jason Burt.

However, with just under a month before the transfer window closes, Chelsea may not be able to refuse the advances of a club who have made the 26-year-old their top target.

We've examined how Luiz would fit into a Barcelona starting XI, and it's obvious that one of Gerardo Martino’s first priorities is to shore up Barca’s defence. La Blaugrana's new manager needs to ensure that drubbings like the 7-0 Champions League defeat over two legs against Bayern Munich last season don't happen again.

In goal, it looks like Victor Valdes will be the club’s first-choice keeper, unless they manage to bring in new blood before the summer transfer window closes.

This will be the last season Valdes plays for his boyhood club after refusing to sign a new contract:

"I consider that my cycle as a Barcelona player will come to an end when my current contract expires in 2014," he told the BBC in May. 

With moves being made to strengthen the back line, the 31-year-old should feel more confident this season, despite his time at Barca coming to an end.

At the club since 2008, Dani Alves should retain his position as first-choice right-back under Martino.

In 255 games the 30-year-old has scored 16 goals and provided 77 assists for Barcelona.

With his incredible stamina and an average pass completion rate of 87.4 percent, Alves will be key in a Martino side that is built around the philosophy of pressing and possession.

The 35-year-old Carles Puyol is entering the final stages of his Barcelona career, and David Luiz would be his perfect replacement to partner Gerard Pique in central defence.

At Chelsea since 2011, Luiz has clocked up 109 appearances for the London club.

It’s the Brazilian’s ability to push forward and his strong passing that would make him a superb candidate to join the Barca ranks.

Under Martino, the side will be aiming for solidity in defence, with the team able to attack as one unit, where constant movement and a tireless hunger for keeping the ball will be key.

With Luiz in the team, Chelsea conceded just 0.79 goals per game last season. Without him, they let in an average of 1.78 goals.

Neither Luiz nor Pique are particularly good in the air, which may be a problem. Luiz, surprisingly, only has an aerial success rate of 56.2 percent.

Although he has lost some speed, Pique is still an excellent choice. The 26-year-old has a pass accuracy of 91 percent and should benefit from having a strong partner in defence, rather than last season’s out-of-position choices of Javier Mascherano and Alex Song.

Pique, at 6'4", could be deadly in the air. However, the Spaniard needs to improve if he’s going to make Barca a threat from set-pieces.

At left-back, Jordi Alba is a natural choice. He has been solid for both Barcelona and Spain, where he can use his speed to devastating effect.

Sergio Busquets will be one of the lynchpins of Martino’s Barca XI. From a defensive midfield position, he can connect the defence with attack—allowing for a smooth transition in Martino’s possession-oriented game. When full-backs Alves and Alba push forward, Busquets can drop back and offer cover. Mascherano can also deputise in the role.

On the left of midfield sits Andres Iniesta. Barca through and through, it will be interesting to see how the 29-year-old's game changes, if at all, with Xavi likely to be playing a smaller role this season. The pair have enjoyed a formidable partnership, but it’s thought that the 33-year-old Xavi may be used sparingly.

Iniesta is not only a force when it comes to possession and distribution, he can also make well-timed runs on the left, where he can provide key through balls for Neymar.

Cesc Fabregas deserves a shot at holding down a midfield role, and Xavi’s reduced role in the side could see Cesc gradually stepping into his boots. After Thiago Alcantara’s departure, Martino was right to hold onto the 26-year-old midfielder, who scored 11 goals and registered 14 assists last term.

Neymar looks like he will play out wide on the left, where he likes to cut inside. In his first season in La Liga, the Brazilian is going to have to become more of a team player and pass the ball more than he did at Santos.

The 21-year-old promises to wreak havoc on opposing defences. Quick, creative, skillful and a scorer of spectacular long-range goals, Neymar can also play as a centre-forward, which will take some of the pressure off Lionel Messi.

On the right wing, Alexis Sanchez will have to start the season with a bang if he wants to impress Martino. Alexis works well with Alves and, when the right-back overlaps, he is another option for cutting inside and feeding Messi.

A speedy player and one of the better aerial forces in the team, it’s time for the 24-year-old to impress and justify his £25 million price tag.

Spearheading the attack will be Messi. Whether deployed in the middle or out on the right, it’s going to be intriguing to see how the Argentine combines with Neymar. To an extent, Barca have become dependent on Messi, who scored 46 La Liga goals in 32 games last season. The combination of the two promises to be deadly.

Barcelona’s first fixture of the 2013/14 season will be against Levante at Camp Nou on August 18.

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