Barcelona have finally reached an agreement with Chelsea over the transfer of veteran captain Cesar Azpilicueta this summer, according to reports coming out of Spain.
The Spaniard has been linked with a move to Barcelona for months, having spent a decade with the Blues and captaining his side to several Premier League wins and a Champions League trophy across his 471 appearances for the Blues.
He was expected to join the club on a free transfer like former teammate Andreas Christensen has done this summer, but an automatic contract extension based on his appearances last campaign put pay to that suggestion.
Speaking about it after it was announced, Tuchel revealed that he now expected the Spaniard to remain a Chelsea player next season.
‘I knew it was going to happen, because I knew the amount of games. It’s a good thing. It’s good news for us’, he told the media.
‘[There is a] Very high probability that he will stay.’
Lille OSC v Chelsea FC: Round Of Sixteen Leg Two – UEFA Champions League LILLE, FRANCE – MARCH 16: Cesar Azpilicueta of Chelsea and Haten Ben Arfa of Lille Olympique Sporting Club Lille Métropoleduring the UEFA Champions League Round Of Sixteen Leg Two match between Lille OSC and Chelsea FC at Stade Pierre-Mauroy on March 16, 2022 in Lille, France. (Photo by James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images)
Spanish sources confident of move
‘The confirmation of his incorporation to Barça is a matter of days, according to the sources consulted by SPORT’, the report claims, with a fee of between 4 and 5 million euros touted.
Azpi, meanwhile, would sign a two year deal with an option to extend for a third depending on his performances.
The deal, they conclude, will be finalised in the coming days barring a dramatic change in circumstances.
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