Chelsea defenders Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta are set to meet with the club to discuss their future, according to reports.
The pair are both out of contract next season and are attracting interest from La Liga side Barcelona with Xavi Hernandez an admirer of the defensive pairing.
Spanish outlet Marca are now reporting that Chelsea are set to meet with the duo to discuss their futures at the club.
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The report states that they are on Barcelona’s list of summer targets but the club's new owners, the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital consortium, are yet to finalise any plans for this transfer window. ‘Everything points to this coming week’, say Marca.
Furthermore, Barcelona hope that Chelsea will offer Alonso and Azpilicueta ‘the letter of freedom’ to depart and allowing them to leave for a ‘very, very affordable price’ due to the struggling financial situation in Catalonia.
Because of the poor financial environment in Barcelona, the club would be unwilling to pay a significant amount for both players, with their departures depending on Chelsea’s valuation this summer.
Xavi Hernandez’s side are ‘very aware’ of what is happening with both players, who seemingly wish to depart.
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It remains to be seen as to what the future holds for the pair, who could join Andreas Christensen in Barcelona following his release at Chelsea.
Alonso has recently opened up on his future, refusing to complain about his situation in London. He said: “On paper, I have a contract for one more year and that is where we’re at today. I’ve already said that I would like to play in Spain again, but it doesn’t depend entirely on me.
"I can’t complain about anything at Chelsea, but the desire to play in Spain is there. It doesn’t depend entirely on me and I’m happy at Chelsea, honestly.”
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Azpilicueta is yet to comment on his future but as captain of Chelsea, he could be held onto by the new ownership as they look to maintain harmony at Stamford Bridge following the takeover.
Thomas Tuchel previously heaped praise on the skipper towards the end of the season, stating that they must ensure that he is committed to the club if he is to stay.
"He is everything Chelsea is about, and I am so, so happy he is the captain because he is humble, hard-working, a nice guy and a polite guy. I am happy that in football, it's possible a guy like this can win all the trophies. That sets the example. It sets the tone. It sets the atmosphere at a very high level.
"We (need to) find out if he can give everything that makes him special. I think, with all the respect, he can only be special if he is committed 100 percent and does not have another little voice in his head, not one concern in his head, that he should have done something differently.
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"He is only the guy he is when he is fully committed. That is his foundation. So this is what we have to find out. That does not mean we find it out tomorrow or today, we still have time because we are also in the privileged position where we have a contract. We have to see."
Topics: Marcos Alonso, Chelsea, Cesar Azpilicueta, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours, Football, Barcelona
Nick Emms