David Luiz, Chelsea Agree to New Contract Through 2021

David Luiz has signed a new contract with Chelsea, committing his future to the club until 2021.

The Blues announced the news on Friday:

The 32-year-old was set to become a free agent in the summer, so the Blues moved to lock him up now rather than risk losing him.

As sportswriter Simon Phillips noted, Chelsea broke their self-imposed rule of not handing out multiyear contracts to players over 30:

The Brazilian has been an automatic starter in defence for the Blues all season with 35 Premier League starts under his belt. He has also started five UEFA Europa League matches as part of the team that qualified for the final, to be contested against rivals Arsenal on May 29.

Luiz explained what it meant to sign the new deal in an interview posted on the club's official website: "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."

He also took to Twitter:

Sports writer Gary Hayes acknowledged the defender has his faults but said he was nonetheless happy to see Luiz won't leave Stamford Bridge:

Luiz is in his second stint with the club. He first played for Chelsea from 2011 to 2014 and returned in 2016 after an unsuccessful spell with Paris Saint-Germain.

The athletic centre-back has been deployed as a midfielder in the past and has shown he's more than just a bruiser with some of his distribution this season:

The new deal gives the Blues one fewer headache heading into a summer of uncertainty. Per Matt Law of the Telegraph, FIFA's decision not to freeze their two-window transfer ban pending an appeal means it's unclear whether the club will be able to sign players at this time.

Manager Maurizio Sarri has placed his faith in Luiz all season long and can now call on the veteran again in the 2019-20 campaign.