Transfer News: Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta did not end up joining Barcelona.
According to ESPN, Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta is linked to Atletico Madrid. He is part of a four-man shortlist created by the club in order to replace English right-back Kieran Trippier.
The 31-year-old joined Newcastle United for an initial fee of £12 million-plus add-ons in the latest transfer window. The Tyneside-based club made a huge splash in January having spent over £90million to secure some exciting prospects like Dan Burn, Chris Wood, and Bruno Guimaraes apart from the former Tottenham Hotspur full-back.
The domino effect of Trippier’s departure is that the La Liga giants could now be on the hunt for the 32-year-old Spaniard defender. Azpilcueta has been a loyal servant for the club over the years having played a total of 458 matches across all competitions for Chelsea. The Spanish international has won the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, UEFA Europa League, FA Cup as well as League Cup.
Azplicueta could write his name in club folklore by becoming the only player to make a clean sweep of medals should he get his hands on the coveted FIFA Club World Cup. Daniel Wass, Cedric Soares and Nelson Semedo are the other players on Madrid’s shortlist at the moment.
The Spanish defender has become synonymous with the Stamford Bridge outfit over the years. He has been a dependable asset and achieved a lot of glory with the Blues. The veteran defender possesses a plethora of experience at the elite level which could be a plus point for any club.
The 32-year-old defender will be out of contract in June. While there are talks going on regarding a renewal it is believed that Azpilicueta will most likely not sign an extension with the club past his current contract. The Spaniard has mostly been used as a wing-back in the absence of Reece James this season.
Apart from the Spanish international, Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen are two other key defensive players whose contracts will run out in the summer. The trio are yet to put pen to paper with the club to extend their stay and Thomas Tuchel could be in serious trouble should he lose them in the same window that too on a free transfer.
While there is no confirmation, it seems quite possible that Cesar Azpilicueta will not stay at Chelsea after June. The fans and the club would hope that the 32-year-old signs an extension but only time will tell if he stays at Stamford Bridge or finds another suitor for his services. Chelsea could do themselves a favour and add some defensive reinforcements in the summer to prevent any looming calamity.
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