Azpilicueta Chelsea exit in doubt after Tuchel left 'a little angry' by Barcelona
Suraj Radia
- 22 Jul 2022 22:11 BST
- 3 min read
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has suggested he could stop Cesar Azpilicueta leaving the club after admitting Barcelona’s pursuit of his captain has left him ‘a little angry’.
Barcelona have offered Azpilicueta a two-year deal but their valuation of the defender remains some way off Chelsea’s after the Blues activated a one-year option in the 32-year-old’s contract.
When asked if he had been annoyed by the situation, Tuchel replied ‘maybe a little bit’ and compared the deal to Chelsea’s £34 million signing of Napoli captain Kalidou Koulibaly.
Tuchel said: “We have a Spanish international player, the captain of Chelsea and I see him maybe on the same level as Koulibaly but Barcelona does not see him on that level, so I’m not so sure I want to give Azpi what he wants because he’s a huge player.”
“The full focus is on us and what we need and what we have in Apzi. I said to him many times that I can understand him on a personal level and career level.
“I can understand his point of view. But I am not only in this role to give him what he wants but I am also manager for Chelsea and have to do what is best for Chelsea.”
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Will Azpilicueta leave Chelsea?
After losing Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen this summer, Chelsea are reluctant to sell any more defenders despite the arrival of Koulibaly.
The Blues are also set to complete the signing of Jules Kounde from Sevilla with Barcelona unlikely to be able to match their £55m bid for the centre-back.
It was thought that the arrival of Kounde could allow Azpilicueta to depart, while Barca are also interested in Marcos Alonso, though no exits will be sanctioned until Chelsea’s asking prices are met.
Thomas Tuchel:
"We are looking of course for people who can play on the left side. To be honest, Antonio [Rudiger] played on the left side and he is not left footed. Maybe Kalidou can play there because he plays in a back four on the left side."
[via @NizaarKinsella]— Absolute Chelsea (@AbsoluteChelsea) July 22, 2022
Azpilicueta has yet to speak on his future however he is believed to be keen on a return to Spain, although Tuchel believes his captain won’t be impacted in the long-term if he is forced to stay.
“It’s maybe now a bit tough because the other club is on him, permanently on him and causes distraction but latest in the first of September normally when things calm down and things are clear I’m very convinced he could play on his highest level,” Tuchel said.
Chelsea are also in talks with Paris Saint-Germain about signing Prisnel Kimpembe as Tuchel is eager to sign a left-sided central defender.
Read more about: Premier League, Barcelona, Chelsea, Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rüdiger, Cesar Azpilicueta, Jules Koundé, Kalidou Koulibaly, Presnel Kimpembe
