Arsenal lining up £30m bid for Chelsea defender

Arsenal are reportedly planning a surprise attempt to sign David Luiz from Chelsea during the winter transfer window. The Brazil international is currently recovering from an inflammation in his knee.

Luiz fell-out-favour under Antonio Conte shortly after the 3-0 Champions League defeat at AS Roma, and the 30-year-old has since managed just a solitary appearance across all competitions.

Conte has not featured the Brazilian footballer in recent matchday squads, but he has iterated that the decision is purely due to the defender's knee problem rather than a breakdown in the relationship between the pair.

The likes of Juventus, Manchester United and Real Madrid have been credited with an interest in Luiz of late, and according to The Express, the Gunners are deemed to have joined the hunt.

Gunners head coach Arsene Wenger is said to favour the versatility of Luiz, who can feature in defence as well as the holding midfield role, and they could lodge a £30m bid for his services.

Chelsea are, however, reluctant to offload their defender to a direct league rival whilst Luiz is open to the possibility of staying at Stamford Bridge if he is offered a return to the Blues lineup on a regular basis.