David Luiz ‘should’ be announced soon as Arsenal player; deal done before deadline — reports

The 5pm transfer deadline may have passed in the Premier League and Championship, but deals will continue to trickle in over the line in the next day or so — as long as all the paperwork’s been submitted in time (or in the two-hour window extension).

Presumably that is the case with David Luiz and Arsenal as well, with Goal’s Charles Watts reporting in the last couple hours that all that stands in the way now are the official pictures and announcements.

Once those last few administrative hurdles are out of the way, the announcement should be imminent.

After the two teams agreed a transfer fee in the region of £7-8m this morning, the 32-year-old defender arrived for his medical at Arsenal training ground in Colney, and was expected to then put pen to paper on a two-year contract. Two months ago he was signing a two-year contract at Chelsea and telling us how he wanted to continue with our great club. And now he’s a Gunner.

Something’s very not right here.

At Arsenal, David Luiz will replace Laurent Koscielny and likely slot into a starting position. Apparently he became convinced he would not get as many opportunities if he stayed with Chelsea. At least that seems to be where the narrative’s heading.

A changing of the guard was always inevitable. Many were suprised David Luiz was given a two-year contract in May, in fact. But surely no one could’ve predicted it would end this way.