The return of David Luiz to Chelsea will come as a huge relief, not to mention a triumph, for Antonio Conte.
Not only does the Italian manager finally have a central defender who is comfortable with the ball at his feet, but Chelsea have also delivered on one of his big demands of the summer.
Conte’s list of original targets did not include the Brazilian, because he had no idea he could be prised from Paris Saint-Germain.
Instead, Chelsea asked for his team-mate Marquinhos — and were prepared to bid lavishly for him.
The 22-year-old defender is also Brazilian, but holds a European passport and is a long-time target for Manchester United. PSG would not deal, even for £50million.
So Chelsea looked towards Conte’s other targets — Leonardo Bonucci of Juventus, Kalidou Koulibaly of Napoli and even Everton’s John Stones.
The season started and Chelsea won their first three games, but Conte was still missing his centre back. Then Luiz came on to his radar.
When the prospect was first mooted in the last 48 hours, it was greeted with surprise. Conte thought it would not be possible, but Chelsea pressed on.
Relations between the clubs are cordial and although an original offer to PSG was rebuffed, Chelsea sensed they could make the unlikely transfer happen.So they raised their offer and got their man.
Luiz, 29, left Stamford Bridge two years ago, but impressed Chelsea fans and the club’s hierarchy with how he conducted himself, even though he played twice against them in the Champions League and even scored at his old stamping ground.
He won two titles with PSG, but remained close to friends in west London and regularly interacted with Chelsea fans on social media.
The Parisians knew they were fighting a losing battle to keep him and the player was given permission to travel to London by Eurostar and headed for his medical on Wednesday night.
Conte’s preferred tactical system is to play with three centre halves as he did with success at Juventus and Italy. To do this, he feels the need for a centre half who is quick, agile and comfortable in possession. Such defenders are rare.
Conte could be forgiven if he was beginning to lose some faith.
It has been a difficult transfer window for him without the pull of the Champions League, and Chelsea are not quite the powerhouse they once were in the market.
The remarkable late swoop to sign Luiz, however, gives Conte options and proves the club are trying to deliver for him, all the way to the deadline.
It does not mean Conte will jump straight into a back three but it takes him towards it and gives him the option to play the system he prefers. In Luiz, he may have found the Bonucci keystone. From here his back four can evolve into a three, as it did at Juventus.
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