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What's the story?
Chelsea defender David Luiz has agreed to join Real Madrid according to Spanish media outlet Don Balon. The Brazilian has not featured for the Blues in the Premier League since October and has reportedly fallen out with club manager Antonio Conte.
Real Madrid lack depth in their defence and manager Zinedine Zidane, who is said to be an admirer of Luiz, has identified the player as an ideal candidate for his team.
In case you didn't know...
Luiz reportedly had a bust-up with Conte after Chelsea's 3-0 defeat against AS Roma in October. The Italian manager was furious with his team's performance and the central defender was at the receiving end of some serious rebuke. The 30-year-old has only featured once since the fallout.
Chelsea insists that no fallout has taken place between the player and the manager, despite several English media outlets reporting the opposite. However, it is now said that the former Benfica player has decided to leave the club.
Heart of the matter
The tension between Luiz and Conte seems to be true even though Chelsea have played it down. In that case, the defender might be packing his bags when the transfer window opens in January.
Depth in defence has been a problem for Real Madrid for some time. Zidane will be looking to address this issue in the winter transfer window and he could be taking advantage of Luiz's situation at Chelsea.
Video: Luiz's highlights from the past year
Author's take
Luiz might be a good defender with tons of experience in his bag, but Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane will be still ahead of him at Real. The Brazilian will only be a back-up for the two and will have to spend the majority of the time on the bench unless an injury occurs.
If the reports of a fallout between Luiz and Conte are true, we might see the player leaving in January, but Real Madrid is not the right destination for him. The 30-year-old will be looking forward to being a part of the Brazilian squad in the next year's FIFA World Cup in Russia and in that case he should look for a club where he can get a good amount of time on the pitch.
Luiz to Real Madrid might be a good move for the Spanish club, but it doesn't sound good for the defender.
