Deadline day will be remembered for the shock moves of maverick pair David Luiz and Jack Wilshere to Chelsea and Bournemouth
THEY are two of English football’s favourite sons.
David Luiz, with the crazy haircuts and cavalier playing style, completed a remarkable return to Chelsea last night.
Then there is Jack Wilshere, the cheeky scamp with that magic wand of a left boot.
Both have so much to prove to the paying punters.
Luiz, 29, will do it in the bosom of his Chelsea family after a second coming was granted by owner Roman Abramovich in a £32million move.
Wilshere, 24, will melt hearts on the South Coast, where 11,000 dreamy Bournemouth supporters will marvel at his silky skills.
Chelsea was Luiz’s first and only choice.
He made the decision to quit Paris Saint-Germain having been dragged off by boss Unai Emery after 62 minutes of their 3-1 defeat at Monaco on Sunday.
Luiz wanted out, a return to London — and Chelsea — after making it clear that he was done with life at the Parc des Princes.
Welcome back, geezer.
That is the first word Luiz was taught by Chelsea’s bus driver ‘Bulldog’ when he arrived in English football from Benfica in 2011.
His critics claim he never quite mastered the language that matters in football more than any other.
Although they have since kissed and made up, Gary Neville claimed in 2012 Luiz looked like he was “controlled by a ten-year-old on a PlayStation”.
In England, where his catastrophic mistakes were perhaps highlighted more than anywhere else in his career, he has never quite been able to shake off that tag.
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The Brazilian is back now, jumping off the Eurostar at St Pancras yesterday to complete an incredible move back to the Premier League.
This is certainly some departure from Antonio Conte’s initial targets, although the £23m arrival of Fiorentina left-back Marcos Alonso had his fingerprints all over it.
The Blues did help balance the books by loaning flop Juan Cuadrado back to Juventus for three years in deal worth a cool £12m.
And the Italian giants can sign the Colombian winger, 28, at the end of that for £17m.
But Chelsea’s new head coach had hoped to sign tough cookies, such as Leonardo Bonucci or Giorgio Chiellini, at the heart of his defence.
Now Luiz’s return shows they have a softer side to them.
He is an emotional boy, apologising to Blues supporters after his header for PSG at Stamford Bridge in 2015 helped KO Jose Mourinho’s side in the Champions League.
The Special One was never a fan, opting to flog him to the French super-club for £50m just days before the start of the 2014 World Cup.
By then, he had become the main man in Chelsea’s dressing room — the biggest noise as they stripped away the influence and the powers of captain John Terry.
It will be fascinating to watch how it all unfolds now that he is competing with him for a place in the centre of Chelsea’s defence again.
Luiz, like Wilshere, demands first-team football. And that will be on offer to Wilshere now that he has made the move to the South Coast.
He was intrigued by the possibility of signing a season-long loan with Serie A side Roma but Arsenal wanted to keep an eye on him in the Premier League.
In the end, his £2m loan fee, and the offer to cover his £80,000-a-week basic wages — plus £50,000 appearance fee — was beyond the Eagles.
Aesthetically, the football philosophy bedded in at Bournemouth under Howe also suits the little midfielder.
This is a huge coup for the Cherries in convincing one of the most talented players in the country that his platform is in the centre of the park at Dean Court.
This has all moved so quickly, accelerated by the transfer deadline and Sam Allardyce’s decision to leave him out of the England squad.
Wilshere loves playing international football.
His omission prompted him to ask boss Wenger to go out on loan to be a first-team player again.
Wilshere will certainly be that at Bournemouth, the first pick for Howe after he pulled off one of the signings of the summer.
This is a big season for Wilshere, with the pressure on him to prove his fitness after another season on the sidelines.
Like Luiz, he is an entertainer, a colourful character with the ability to put a smile on the faces of the fans.
Do that again and English football will fall for them all over again.
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