Chelsea Transfer News: Latest on David Luiz, Nikola Maksimovic Rumours

Chelsea's search for a centre-back has reportedly taken a dramatic late twist, as former Blues star David Luiz is said to be a target, with Nikola Maksimovic of Torino set to sign for Napoli.

According to MailOnline's Simon Jones, Chelsea have offered Paris Saint-Germain £32 million for Luiz, who moved to the French capital in a £50 million deal two years ago. At the time, the deal was widely mocked by Blues fans, but the club's struggles in central defence may force some people to rethink that.

Gary Cahill has started the 2016-17 campaign in acceptable form, and John Terry is still living up to his enormous talent. But the latter is now 35 years old and needs the chance to rest at times this season, and with Kurt Zouma still recovering from injury, depth is limited.

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Per David Amoyal of Gianluca Di Marzio, Maksimovic was another target, but he's closing in on a move to Napoli. The Partenopei won't be bringing him in as a replacement for Kalidou Koulibaly, either―the latter is needed as Lorenzo Tonelli hasn't played a minute of football yet in the new campaign due to injury.

Brazil international Luiz has enjoyed two fine years in Paris, but new PSG manager Unai Emery has made frequent use of Marquinhos, who is expected to partner Thiago Silva in defence this season. Bleacher Report UK's Sam Tighe agrees with that decision:

Per Tighe, Luiz's sale would give Marquinhos free reign to establish himself as the star defender he can be―if his compatriot sticks around as the main back-up option, the temptation will be there to plug him back into the starting XI if the 22-year-old struggles.

Chelsea fans don't need any reminder of what Luiz is capable of. Here's a look at some of his top highlights from his time in Paris:

The 29-year-old has spent some time in midfield with Les Parisiens, but his best position remains that of a centre-back. He was at his best when paired with Silva, a veteran defender with excellent vision who could steer Luiz and make up for some of the mistakes the former Chelsea man tends to make.

With the burden of leading the defence off his shoulders, Luiz's raw athleticism and ability on the ball has stood out in the past two years. Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte loves defenders who can act as playmakers, such as Juventus' Leonardo Bonucci, and that might be the Brazilian's top quality.

However, consistency has been a huge issue for Luiz in France. Tom Williams of Agence France-Presse shared the particulars of his last outing for Les Parisiens, for instance:

Marquinhos' emergence opens the door for a move. With PSG knowing they'll never recuperate the absurd £50 million fee they paid in 2014, there's every reason to believe a deal could be made before the transfer window closes.

Whether Chelsea fans want the former Blues star to return is another matter. Sports writer Graham MacAree is a fine example:

The Blues have shown they're not afraid to bring back players from the past―they did so with Nemanja Matic―and defensive depth is sorely needed. Given Terry's age and Cahill's struggles last season, long-term solutions need to be found as well.

Andreas Christensen has performed well on loan with Borussia Monchengladbach, but there's no guarantee his skill set translates to the Premier League. In Luiz, the Blues know exactly what type of player they would be signing.

As unlikely as this transfer sounds, a move isn't nearly as impossible as it would have seemed two weeks ago. The biggest obstacle might simply be the short amount of time left in the summer transfer window, as the Blues will have to hurry to get a deal done.