Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta is on the verge of joining Barcelona this summer, El Chiringuito journalist Jose Alvarez claims.
Azpilicueta has entered the final year of his contract at Chelsea, and there have been suggestions that he could be on the move amid interest from Barcelona.
As per Jose Alvarez, Barcelona are currently in advanced talks with the Blues for the Spaniard, and it is only a ‘matter of days’ before an agreement is sealed.
The exact transfer fee has not been revealed, but Alvarez added that Barcelona have ‘stalled’ talks over signing teammate Marcos Alonso due to the price tag.
Our view:
Azpilicueta has been a brilliant performer for Chelsea over the past decade, but he showed signs of slowing down during the back end of the previous season.
The Blues still value him highly, but he could be on the move, judging by the club’s plans of signing three top central defenders during the current transfer window.
Chelsea have already landed Kalidou Koulibaly, and they are currently locked in negotiations for Paris Saint-Germain’s Presnel Kimpembe and Sevilla’s Jules Kounde.
Azpilicueta could still feature from the right wing-back role as Reece James’ deputy, but a move to Barcelona could guarantee him starts ahead of the World Cup.
The 32-year-old has recently made himself a regular with the Spanish national side, and would not want to miss out on the squad for the major showpiece in Qatar.
If Azpilicueta were to leave, it remains to be seen whether Chelsea will pursue a new option at right wing-back.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek occasionally played in the position when James was injured last season, but manager Thomas Tuchel may want a better alternative in the squad.
A move for Jonathan Clauss has been much talked about, but the 29-year-old international is now on his way to Marseille with Lens having accepted their £6.8 million offer.
