SPEAKING FRANKLY
Frank Lampard reveals he showed David Luiz Chelsea transfer exit door after showdown talks over future
FRANK LAMPARD admitted he needed to let people see his ruthless streak — and show fans’ favourite David Luiz the door.
Lamps could not give Luiz guarantees he would start for Chelsea during a tense training-ground meeting last week.
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Brazilian centre-back Luiz quit to join Arsenal in an stunning £8million deadline-day move.
New Blues chief Lampard said: “I wanted honesty and respect. We are also big characters, so when we do talk, it is serious.
“We don’t beat around the bush. We got to the point pretty quickly and that was it.
“David was pretty clear about what he wanted, Arsenal was the club and then I had to make the decision.
“It’s a competitive area, so he’s moved on. He is a good player, he has gone to another club, it has happened before and it will happen again. That is just how the situation was.”
Although Lampard was keen to stress it had nothing to do with exerting his authority, this was a big call so early in his Stamford Bridge managerial career.
But Lamps, who takes charge of his first proper game against Manchester United tomorrow, said: “The last thing I want to do is look back and go ‘I wish I had done that differently and I didn’t quite do it’.
“It was purely a football decision on both sides. It was not a strike, or a punishment, or about being ostracised at all.
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“It would have been naive to try to flex my muscles.
“I don’t need to do that. I just play it as I see it, daily.
“I watch how the players train, I watch how the players react in the dressing room, how the spirit is. And then I have to make decisions.
“I have to try to create a squad that is in the image of what I want.
“And I’m not saying David wasn’t part of that but I have to make lots of decisions every day and they are not all about trying to show power.”
Arsenal boss Unai Emery is convinced his new signing is the man to finally end their problems at the back.
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Emery, who is unlikely to throw him straight in against Newcastle tomorrow afternoon, said: “Last year, David Luiz won the Europa League and he played every match in the Premier League, so it’s very difficult to find something negative about him.
“He has a lot more positive things about his game and he is coming here with this capacity to help us do something important in the present and in the future.
“We worked together for two months at Paris Saint-Germain but after three matches, the club and the player decided he would sign for Chelsea.
“Now he has decided to change Chelsea for Arsenal and it is a big opportunity for us.
“He has experience, quality and he is a good defender.”
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Emery ruled out the possibility of making Luiz one of his five Arsenal captains.
The Spaniard added: “We have players already with more circumstances to be captain.
“But David does not need the armband to help the young players with his experience.”
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