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As a player, David Luiz is certainly a divisive figure. He isn’t one to shy away from confrontation, and he is liable to make rather rudimentary mistakes. But due to his passion, perseverance and generally pleasant nature, there’s an endearing charm that characterises the Brazilian defender.

Without question, the 31-year-old has been tremendously important to Chelsea, both during his first stint with the club and upon his return from Paris Saint Germain. Indeed, he was an indispensable member of Antonio Conte’s back-three that won the Premier League with a then-record number of victories in England’s top-flight. Having won the Champions League, Europa League and the FA Cup, his name will be forever be associated with Chelsea, and from that perspective, it was startling to see the Brazilian completely ostracised by Antonio Conte last season.

Nevertheless, and in a typically defiant manner, Luiz has worked tirelessly to restore his position in the Chelsea squad. Under Maurizio Sarri’s tutelage, the 31-year-old has re-emerged as one of the Blues’ key players. He has already attained 19 appearances this season, more than the 17 he achieved last season, and he has started in 16 out of Chelsea’s 17 league games this term – forming a productive partnership with Antonio Rudiger at the heart of defence.

Faithful to his Brazilian upbringing, Luiz is endowed with an abundance of technical quality, and he is also a fine passer of the ball. These qualities, along with his ability to dribble out of defence, has ensured his aptness to feature in Sarri’s highly-technical system.

That said, the defender is approaching the latter stages of his career, and he is currently in the final year of his contract at Chelsea; while renewing his deal with the Blues would be beneficial for player and club, he cannot stay in the starting XI in the long-term.

It’s clear that Sarri has employed Luiz cautiously this season, opting to rest the experienced defender when possible. He has yet to appear in the Europa League for the Blues this season, having only been named in one of the six squads for the competition.

Further, despite impressing since being reinstated in the team by Sarri, the veteran has failed to divest his propensity of making elementary mistakes. Luiz committed simple mistakes that led to goals against Newcastle United and Cardiff at the start of the campaign, and his lapses in concentration were further evidenced by a disastrous solo display against Spurs - the Brazilian was at fault, or at least partly at fault, for two of Tottenham’s three goals in the crucial London derby.

In pursuit of consistency, it’s vital to recognise that Luiz’s closest competitor for a position in Chelsea’s defence, Andreas Christensen, had been prone to a few errors himself – most notably against Barcelona in the Champions League last season. Nonetheless, at the age of 22, Christensen’s professional career is still in its infancy, and mistakes can be expected of a player of his relative inexperience. At Luiz’s age, and given the extent of his experience and know-how, such errors can be ill-afforded.

Similarly, while extending his contract for a year would be entirely justified, prolonging it beyond 2020 could evoke a barrier to entry for other budding defenders in the Chelsea setup. Alongside Christensen, Ethan Ampadu is another youngster vying to establish himself.  The Welshman is regarded as one of the most promising and talented youngsters in world football and keeping an ageing Luiz as a significant first-team player beyond 2020 could plausibly impact his progression.

If Luiz - who Transfermarkt value at £22.5million - can accept a reduced role at Chelsea beyond next season, then he could be of tremendous importance in helping develop these youngsters into future superstars. But the reality is, quite simply, that his time as a truly significant player for the Blues is drawing to a close. Chelsea need to find the right deal that suits not only Sarri and Luiz, but also Ampadu and Christensen.

FFC'S Christy Malyan thinks there is one thing Chelsea can do to claw ther way back into the title-race. Find out what it is in the video below...