Emery happy to wait for David Luiz replacement

Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery is happy to wait until the January transfer window to sign a replacement for David Luiz.

PSG agreed the sale of the Brazil international back to his former club Chelsea for a reported £34million (€40m) last week, two years after he left Stamford Bridge for the Parc des Princes.

With the move going through late on deadline day, the French champions did not have enough time to bolster their defensive ranks.

However, Emery is confident he has enough centre-back options to make it through to the next window without many problems.

“I talked a lot with him [David Luiz] and the team. After the match against Monaco, he said he had a good offer from Chelsea and wanted to leave,” the Spaniard told RMC Sport.

“I told him I did not want him to leave and that he was important, but if he’s not happy and he thinks it’s better for him to leave, I respect that. That’s what I said to the club.

“Then we found it was too late to sign someone and it was better to wait until December, and then we have [Presnel] Kimpembe playing well. He must be given confidence.

“With Marquinhos to return, Thiago Silva ready to play – if all goes well, they are the three. And Serge [Aurier] has the ability to play centre-back. He can do a good job in this position. I talked to him and he is ready to have that versatility.”

Unlike David Luiz, Blaise Matuidi was unable to seal a move away from PSG, despite admitting he wanted to join Juventus.

Emery sees the France international as a key component of his squad and is sure he is content to continue his career in Paris.

“Who is the best player to apply pressure and recover the ball? It’s Matuidi,” added the coach.

“We are a big group, but with competition the team is better. During the season, players will be injured due to the number of matches.

“It was important that Matuidi stayed with us. I told him three times. After that it was up to him and the club, and he said he was happy to stay here.”

PSG suffered their first defeat under Emery away at Monaco in their previous Ligue 1 outing, and the coach said he was not expecting to walk to the title.

He said: “I want to make the best team. This is my work and my motivation. We want to have a strong season in all competitions, which first means winning Ligue 1.

“When I arrived, many people told me, ‘you will easily win Ligue 1’. But at the moment, it’s not easy. It’s very important to be prepared and motivated to do so.

“After three matches we have already lost a game – it’s not normal.”