Benfica break silence on Luiz deal

27 January 2011 18:00
David Luiz appears a step closer to becoming a Chelsea player after Benfica went public for the first time about their negotiations with the Barclays Premier League champions. Portuguese giants Benfica released a statement to their country's stock exchange confirming they had received an offer, reportedly worth £26million, from the Blues for their 23-year-old Brazil defender. It read: "We have received an offer from Chelsea Football Club for the acquisition of the sporting and economic rights of David Luiz. A negotiation process between both parties is ongoing and the market will be informed when it is completed." Chelsea have four days to reach an agreement with Benfica before the transfer window closes, which on paper is plenty of time. However, they have been in and out of talks with the Portuguese champions for almost a month since seeing a reported £17million bid rebuffed at the end of December. They were confident enough of concluding the transfer this week to apply for a work permit for Luiz, which was granted on Wednesday.

Source: PA