Atletico Madrid are reportedly closing in on a surprise swoop for Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta, with Los Rojiblancos set to beat Inter Milan to his signature.
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, long-serving Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta is all set to join Atletico Madrid on a two-year deal as a free agent this summer.
The summer transfer window has so far seen multiple senior players depart Stamford Bridge as part of a mass clearout directed by new boss Mauricio Pochettino, who will officially take charge of the squad for the first time this week.
Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kante, Kai Havertz, Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Edouard Mendy, and Mason Mount have all left the building as the Blues have recouped over £150 million from player sales, and lightened up the bloated wage bill. Among the next to leave is set to be experienced defender Azpilicueta.
Since joining in a bargain £7 million move from Marseille in 2012, Azpilicueta has pulled on the famous Blue jersey 508 times in multiple positions across the backline. The Spaniard has chipped in with 17 goals and 56 assists for the Blues during his tenure.
Chelsea have confirmed to César Azpilicueta and his camp that he’s gonna be allowed to leave for free; his contract will be terminated. Mutual respect between Azpi and the club. 🔵✅ #CFC
⚪️🔴 Atlético will unveil Azpi as new signing very soon. It’s done, sealed, here-we-go. pic.twitter.com/0HqRFAbpOb
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 1, 2023
Along with two Premier League titles, an FA Cup, the Carabao Cup, the Club World Cup, and two Europa Leagues, he led the Blues to their UEFA Champions League final triumph two years ago. He remained an integral player for Chelsea last term, with 32 appearances in all tournaments. But only 16 of them were Premier League starts.
The Spaniard is still under contract at Stamford Bridge for another season. But Chelsea are apparently happy to sanction the move for either a nominal fee or as a free transfer, despite the 33-year-old signing a two-year contract last summer.
Azpilicueta had reportedly reached a verbal agreement to sign for Champions League finalists Inter Milan, who recently lost centre-back Milan Skriniar to Paris Saint-Germain. But Atleti’s eleventh-hour offer to hijack Inter’s proposed move has turned the head of the player, who wants a return to Spain after 13 years away from La Liga.
Diego Simeone is believed to be a long-time admirer of Azpilicueta, who could be a huge addition to a backline that immediately looks stronger and more competitive than a season ago with the arrival of Caglar Soyuncu. In addition, left-back Javier Galan is also set to join them from Celta Vigo.
Chelsea are already prepared for Azpilicueta’s imminent exit, reaching a deal in January to sign 20-year-old Malo Gusto from Lyon for a fee of £30 million. The Frenchman was sent out straight back on loan and will now return to Stamford Bridge to provide competition for Reece James at right-back.
