David Luiz: Why hasn't Chelsea defender completed his £48m move to PSG yet?

The defender has said his farewell to the Premier League side as he prepares to join PSG but the deal is yet to be confirmed by either side

David Luiz is on the verge of completing a £48m move to PSG (Getty Images)

David Luiz remains a Chelsea player for the time being despite his move to Paris St-Germain appearing a matter of when rather than if, although it is not known whether the defender will complete his big money move before the start of the World Cup.

The French champions made their move for Luiz last month which was hardly surprising given their interest in the centre-back, although the near-£50m fee agreed to cause a few reverberations across the football world at what would be a new world transfer record for a defender, eclipsing the Parisian’s €40m fee they paid to Roma for centre-back Marquinhos last season.

Luiz even said farewell to Chelsea fans on 24 May, saying that he is thankful for his time at Stamford Bridge and that a new challenge awaits in Paris.

Yet with the deal – believed to be £48m, signed and sealed, and his medical completed, why hasn’t PSG’s capture of their latest high profile signing been announced yet?

Initial reactions were that negotiations could be on-going over a future switch between Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and PSG’s Ezequiel Lavezzi, with both players attracting interest from the opposite club. This interest was increased when the two sides met in the Champions League quarter-final, with both Lavezzi and Hazard scoring in the first leg at the Parc des Princes.

However, The Independent believes that this is not the case and that any negotiations over future transfers are not part of the Luiz deal. With the 27-year-old going through his final preparations with the rest of the Brazil squad, the deal could be delayed until after the World Cup, although PSG have shown their intent to secure the move after allowing former Chelsea defender Alex to join AC Milan last week.

With Luiz set to join, PSG could start the 2014-15 season with Brazil’s starting central defence partnership, as the Selecao’s captain Thiago Silva would likely partner Luiz at the back with current options Marquinhos and Maxwell also able to fill in at full-back, the club could start with an all-Brazilian back four next season.

Meanwhile, Chelsea may not move to replace Luiz given that France youngster Kurt Zouma will join the squad in the summer. The 19-year-old was signed in January but remained in France with his former side St Etienne on loan until the end of the season, and he’ll face a challenge to push one of John Terry and Gary Cahill out of the starting line-up if he isn’t sent out on loan again in the new season.

The club have been linked with possible moves for Real Madrid’s Raphael Verane and Porto’s Eliaquim Mangala, although whether they will move to strengthen their defence further this summer remains to be seen as the priority remains landing at least one striker. Academy product Tomas Kalas was given a chance in the first team towards the end of the season as Chelsea’s resources were stretched to the limit, and the 21-year-old Czech international didn’t disgrace himself as the Blues only conceded once in the four appearances he made all season.

The deal for Diego Costa could still go through before the start of the World Cup, although the £32m fee would still leave Jose Mourinho with around £16m solely from the Luiz sale to reinvest, and with interest also in midfielders Cesc Fabregas, Koke and former player Tiago Mendes, it appears Chelsea have a busy summer ahead of them.