Chelsea snap up De Lucas
The 23-year-old could have stayed in Barcelona, had Espanyol opted to take up their three-year option on him but neglected to do so, instead plumping for other targets.
Having failed to agree terms with the Spanish side, De Lucas offered himself to interested teams in Europe, stating he enjoyed his time at PSG.
Speaking about his time at Espanyol, De Lucas said: "They say that I've asked for too much. They are the ones who label me as a problem, but what nobody knows is that last year I went to Paris (with Paris Saint Germain on loan) and lost money.
"The problem is that, as I am local, they assume that I must sign. In this club there is a lot of talk about the youth system, but now it is time to dip my toe in the water and find out how much I'm worth."
A Spanish club would have had to pay more for De Lucas, but it was always likely that he would move abroad with Udinese, West Ham, Rangers, Chelsea, as well as home-based Celta Vigo, Malaga and Villarreal all linked to the player.
"The important thing is that wherever I go, I go to a team that wants and appreciates me," said De Lucas about a potential transfer.
De Lucas has signed a four-year deal with Chelsea and it would appear that manager Claudio Ranieri's Spanish contacts have come good again.
