Barcelona are still waiting for Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta to make a decision on his future amid links with a summer transfer, according to reports.
Azpilicueta has now reached a decade at the Blues, having signed for the club from Ligue 1 side Marseille back in 2012.
He has since become the captain of the west London outfit, as well as one of their most successful players having won every single major trophy possible.
Advert
Although his contract was due to expire at the end of the season just gone, his deal was extended for a further year after he played a certain number of games in the campaign.
However there is still a belief that he could depart the club this summer, with the Spaniard being linked with a transfer to Barcelona ahead of the new season.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the Catalan side are still waiting to hear of the 32-year-old’s final decision on his future as they eye a move for the defender.
Advert
Once the international break has concluded, Chelsea are believed to be ready to hold talks with their captain to discuss the next stages in his career at the club.
It is thought that he was getting ready to say his farewells ahead of a summer move but as a result of the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, as well as the arrival of new owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, it is now a complicated decision for him to make.
Although Azpilicueta is a natural right-back, he played 15 games last season in the centre-back role, and his departure would see the club lose three of their options for the position.
However the summer transfer window will give the club a chance to sign their replacements, with boss Thomas Tuchel set to be given around £200 million to spend.
Advert
Jules Kounde is expected to be one of the Blues’ new arrivals having seen a move from Sevilla fall through at the final stages of last summer’s window, with the La Liga side increasing their price for the centre-back.
Inter Milan’s Milan Skriniar is another target that has been mentioned, with the 27-year-old having just one year left on his contract at the San Siro.
Chelsea would need to pay around £60 million should they wish to sign him, with Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur also believed to be interested in a move for the Slovakian international.
Topics: Cesar Azpilicueta, Barcelona, Chelsea, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours, Football
Robert Calcutt