Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta is reportedly more likely to stay at the Premier League club than move to Barcelona this summer.
According to a report by The Times, new Chelsea owner Todd Boehly has informed Cesar Azpilicueta that he is reluctant to sanction the Spanish defender’s move to Barcelona. The right-back has just a year remaining on his contract with the Blues, and Barcelona are said to pursuing a transfer for him.
Chelsea have seen two first-choice defenders leave the club this summer in Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger. While the former has moved to Barcelona, the German central defender has joined Real Madrid, leaving the Blues short-staffed in the defensive department.
Moreover, both Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso have entered the final year of their respective contracts with the west London club, with the Blaugrana said to be interested in signing both of them this summer, even though Chelsea want to stop them from joining Barcelona.
While the Catalan giants are yet to make an official approach for Alonso, multiple reports have claimed that Azpilicueta has been a topic of discussion between the two clubs. Last month, it was claimed that Chelsea and Barcelona had agreed on a deal in principle, and a sum of between €4 million and €5 million was quoted.
Barcelona were said to be optimistic about getting the deal through, but recent developments have changed the scenario slightly. The Blues have been linked with a couple of right-backs in the ongoing transfer window but are yet to get a deal through.
Reece James will be left as the only recognised right-back for Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel if Azpilicueta joins Barcelona. Moreover, the veteran Spanish defender can also be played as part of a back three, which could benefit the Blues as the season progresses and they fail to sign another central defender.
Boehly is thus reluctant to let Azpilicueta leave this summer, and the 32-year-old is now more likely to represent Chelsea next season than Barcelona. It will be interesting to see if Barcelona can change the tide and bring their key target on board from the Premier League club.
