Luiz excited about working with Sarri

Chelsea defender had been frozen out under former boss Conte but wants to stay at Stamford Bridge

BENGALURU: Chelsea defender David Luiz has dismissed speculation about a potential departure from the Premier League club and said he is aiming to win titles under new manager Maurizio Sarri.

The 31-year-old, who rejoined Chelsea from Paris St Germain in 2016, will have a chance to re-establish himself at Stamford Bridge following an injury-ridden season, when he made only 10 league appearances under former boss Antonio Conte.

His poor domestic run led to his omission from Brazil's World Cup squad for Russia.

"I came back to Chelsea to stay," Luiz told reporters. "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, so I am very happy here.”

Luiz has featured in both of Chelsea's pre-season matches under Sarri, who has started his reign with victories over Inter Milan and Perth Glory. "I love Sarri's philosophy," said Luiz. "We play high, with a lot of possession in a technical way. He's trying to help us every single day to learn quickly his philosophy.”

The Brazilian defender admitted though that the players may need a bit of time to get used to the unique demands placed upon them by the former Napoli manager. "A new philosophy always takes time. But it also depends on us,” he said. “If we're dedicated every day and doing things every single day in training, we're trying to learn quickly."

Chelsea will face league rivals Arsenal and French top-flight team Olympique Lyonnais in their remaining pre-season fixtures before their Community Shield match against Manchester City on August 5. The London outfit begin their league campaign against Huddersfield Town on August 11.