David Luiz has committed his future to Chelsea after declaring his “love” for new manager Maurizio Sarri’s football philosophy and “fun” coaching style.

Luiz was among those players to fall out of favour with Antonio Conte even after playing almost every game in Chelsea’s 2016-17 Premier League-title winning team and, having started only one league match since October, his future was under considerable doubt.

Conte had dropped Luiz after the Brazilian was perceived to have questioned his tactics during a stormy players’ meeting last autumn but, having started both pre-season games under Sarri, the 31-year-old has now decided that he wants to stay.

“When I took my decision to come back here from Paris it was to win the Premier League and to do something again with Chelsea, “ he said. “I came back to stay here.”

Sarri has immediately switched Chelsea’s formation from the 3-4-3 wing-back system that was so successfully implemented by Conte to 4-3-3, with the Brazilian-born Italian Jorginho anchoring the team in the playmaker role he performed for Napoli at the base of midfield.