Chelsea could lose Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso amid Barcelona interest.
According to @RogerTorello as tweeted by @DeadlineDayLive (h/t Football.London) Barcelona appear to have their sights set on Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso, after acquiring Andreas Christensen from Chelsea.
For some time, there have been talks that the Spanish duo would move to Catalonia to join Xavi’s side. On the right, Sergino Dest and Sergi Roberto are present, but Jordi Alba lacks proper competition down that left-hand side.
Now it is believed that the Catalan team is intending to complete the double swoop for around €20M. That may seem like a reasonable price from their perspective but one must remember that Azpi and Alonso are still assets to us as squad players.
Following the signing of Ben Chilwell two summers ago, Alonso was forced to play second fiddle to the 25-year-old England international. Alonso moved to the Blues from Fiorentina in the summer of 2016, and since then, he has amassed every significant club trophy available.
Due to Chilwell’s terrible cruciate ligament injury in November of last year, Alonso served as Chelsea’s only left wing-back for the duration of the campaign. But once the Englishman comes back, the Spaniard wouldn’t be an undisputed choice down that flank anymore.
Captain Azpilicueta is the perfect example of what you mean when you think of a “club legend” in football. He has now been a Chelsea employee for ten years and is well ingrained in the club’s history, culture, and community.
Fans would have loved it if he retired as a Blues, and perhaps Azpi himself. Sadly, that’s not how things always go. He is not getting any younger and is perhaps enticed by the prospect of playing elsewhere.
Football today is different. Clubs nowadays are essentially corporations that must make the correct choices at the proper times to meet both their financial and on-field obligations. The former director Marina Granovskaia developed a reputation for rational decision-making above emotional ones.
Hence. the board would be wise to secure the best possible offer for the Spanish duo. But we have to also remember the years of service they have given to our team. Given their service, we must make sure that they depart on amicable terms.
It’s not like they are spring chickens leaving the club when they need them the most. They have run their course at SW6 and the club must honour their decision if the duo really want to leave for greener pastures.
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