Barcelona Transfer News: David Luiz Reveals Double Attempt to Sign Him

Paris Saint-Germain's decision to sign David Luiz from Chelsea came as one of the summer's first major deals. Agreed to before the World Cup, the French side showed real intent on landing the charismatic defender once it became clear he was unneeded by Jose Mourinho.

This desire to land the player, as noted by Luiz, is what stopped the Brazilian from joining Barcelona. Ahead of the Catalan club's trip to face PSG in the Champions League on Tuesday, Luiz revealed he was the subject of two bids from Barca, reported by AS and via Yahoo Eurosport.

"It's true they tried to tempt me a couple of times and everything looked good. But eventually I realised the team that really wanted to buy me was PSG," said Luiz.

Jacques Brinon/Associated Press

Eventually sold for £50 million—a tremendous amount in this era of UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules—Luiz believes PSG should use the Blaugrana as inspiration for finding their own character:

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We’re progressing every week and need to find a better version for our style of play, something similar to Barca. We know there is much room for improvement and are aware that is how the big teams think. Over the years I’ve learned that if you think you’ve reached the top of the ladder then you are heading for a fall. That’s not a good mentality to have.

"

Luiz suffered a disappointing World Cup and was widely berated for his individual performance against Germany.

David Vincent/Associated Press

The bombing centre-back prioritised attack whenever possible during the 7-1 loss, a feature which saw him severely out of position for much of the game. Barca may be counting their lucky stars, as Luiz's value has almost certainly dropped since PSG snapped him up.

The defender hasn't enjoyed the best start to life at the Parc des Princes. Laurent Blanc faces huge pressure after watching his team win just three of its first eight Ligue 1 encounters. The recent Champions League draw with Ajax is reminiscent of the team's season so far, as PSG's inability to defend their lead continues to limit their potential.

Jonathan Johnson of ESPN FC provided an answer as to why Luiz's game continues to suffer:

The player appears a good fit for Barcelona on the surface; he possesses the technical skill and passing ability their stars are expected to ooze. That said, he isn't disciplined enough to play under Luis Enrique, who has added a sense of grit to Barca's play this season. It's almost ironic that without Luiz, the Liga leaders are yet to concede a goal across all competitions this campaign.

PSG desperately need to get something from the European clash if they are to challenge for top spot in Group F.

The side is yet to truly show its potential on the continental stage since its heavy cash injection landed the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani and Luiz. Blanc's squad is made up of fine individuals who desperately need to find a winning team ethic or else ultimatums are likely to start being made for players and staff.

Luiz is a loveable individual, but someone who also needs to be loved to show his best form. His decision to join PSG underlines this. If he's given a torrid time against Lionel Messi, Neymar and friends during Tuesday's fixture, he may just regret choosing the developing French side over proven winners at the Camp Nou.