David Luiz has revealed that he left for Arsenal because Frank Lampard was not ready to offer him a significant role in the squad.
On the deadline day of the summer transfer window, the Brazilian defender who spent six seasons in two spells with Chelsea moved across London to join the rivals for mere £8m.
“In talks with Frank [Lampard], [he revealed] he had a different plan for the year,” Luiz told ESPN Brasil.
“So we spoke in total honesty, and he made it clear that he had different ideas from mine. So I had this opportunity, to receive an offer from Arsenal, which is a great club.
“I still respect Chelsea. It’s never easy for people to understand everything that goes through. But my decision was also to respect Chelsea and their new manager, who wanted to implement a different philosophy at the club.
“And so I decided to get on this new journey, a new home, where I’ll do everything to shine as well [as I did at Chelsea].”
When Frank Lampard was asked about the reason, he also spoke about the honesty of their conversations.
“We had some honest conversations over the last week and the conclusion of that was he is gone.
“It is an area of the pitch where we have competition. I don’t have number ones or twos. They have to fight for that shirt. I wish him the best because he has been a big part of our history.”