Chelsea club captain Cesar Azpilicueta. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
According to @MundoDeportivo as relayed on Twitter by Matt Law of The Telegraph, Chelsea have extended the contract of their captain Cesar Azpilicueta by using an appearance clause amidst interest from Barcelona for a potential move. His future is far from being secured despite the renewal, as he could still leave Stamford Bridge this summer.
Azpilicueta was nearing the end of his current contract with the Blues before the extension was triggered. The clause was automatically activated when he achieved the threshold for the appearances, which was agreed upon before the UK Government’s sanction on Roman Abramovich.
That is why the contract renewal was approved even though Thomas Tuchel’s side is unable to engage in extension talks at this moment. The Spaniard’s current deal would expire only in 2023, but he could still leave for Barca after this season. A gentleman’s agreement could see him join Camp Nou for free in the summer transfer window.
It is good that the 32-year-old’s contract has been seemingly extended by another year at a time when we are unable to engage in any negotiations regarding contract renewals. There is still a chance that the skipper would stay with us past this campaign through this renewal, even though he has been heavily linked with a move to join the Catalans.
The West London club must now do their best and convince the Premier League defender about helping us in this time of need. Ideally, we would want to reduce and stagger the financial impact of these uncertain times, and a delayed departure can certainly help us to manage the expenses.
After all, if we set out to replace a stellar, versatile defender such as the Spaniard, it would certainly take some amount of time, effort, and money. Moreover, Azpi’s knowledge of the club, leadership skills, and consistency in performance is something that can’t really be replaced too easily.
Our captain has provided us with his services for quite a long time, and it would be understandable if the club, in turn, would give in to his desires and let him leave despite the extension. That being said, the Blues are in a tricky situation regarding their defensive rearguard this year.
Both Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen are set to see their Chelsea contracts expire this summer, while Marc Guehi and Fikayo Tomori’s departures last summer means we don’t have a safety net to fall back on. Seeing the ex-Marseille defender leave amidst this situation could really be a big blow for us.
Let’s hope that the Champions League holders are preparing for a worst-case scenario, as losing Azpilicueta can be troublesome for us. After all, he provides backup to Reece James in the right-wingback position while offering an option as a centre-back as well.
This season has also shown that despite being 32, Azpilicueta still hasn’t found it hard to find playing time for the Blues, and his performances, whenever he has started, have been good. There is nothing to indicate that he can’t perform at the top level for at least another season.
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