David Luiz joked that Chelsea should sign Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo as a replacement for Eden Hazard - before backing Callum Hudson-Odoi to fill the void in the long term.
Hazard bid a glorious farewell to Chelsea on Wednesday night by netting a brace as Maurizio Sarri's side roared past Arsenal to seal Europa League success in Azerbaijan.
It appears a case of when rather than if he swaps Stamford Bridge for Real Madrid and the Belgian magician was never likely to go quietly.
Hazard provided the assist for Pedro and soon got on the scoresheet himself, coolly scoring from the spot before putting the game to bed by sweeping home after a stunning Alex Iwobi strike briefly gave Arsenal hope.
And Brazilian defender Luiz hailed the playmaker ahead of his expected summer switch to the Spanish giants.
“Let’s bring in [Lionel] Messi and [Cristiano] Ronaldo. Look, if he goes, I just wish him all the best,” he said.
“He’s a fantastic friend and a fantastic player. For sure we’ll miss him if he leaves.
“We started playing together a long time ago, when we were both so young, and now he’s a player everyone in the world knows.
“They know his class. If his decision is the best for him, I just wish him good luck because he deserves it.”
And Luiz, the former Paris Saint-Germain star, reckons Hudson-Odoi can be a star at Stamford Bridge in years to come.
“This is part of the cycle of life: some stories finish and others begin,” he added.
“We have some main talents at the club to replace him, and opportunities for many players to be like Eden.
“Callum is our player from the academy, a boy with talent who has an opportunity to be a legend one day. He’s known this club since he was young, and he has the talent one day to be like Eden.
“So it’s a new history for Callum, a new story. It didn’t start so well for him because of the injury, but it is time for him to improve in other sides [of his game].”
