Barcelona President Joan Laporta has dropped a major hint regarding the future of Chelsea centre-back Andreas Christensen. The Danish defender is coming to the end of his contract at Stamford Bridge and is free to negotiate with foreign clubs.
With the ongoing turmoil regarding Roman Abramovich's ownership of the club, as things stand, the Blues are unable to negotiate new contracts with any of their current group of players. That means Christensen's departure is looking more and more likely ahead of the summer transfer window.
Barcelona have long been linked with a transfer and now Laporta has suggested that the Catalan giants have already completed deals to bring in two players - a midfielder and a centre-back. Although there is no confirmation from the Spaniard, it's largely presumed that AC Milan star Franck Kessie - who will be available on a free transfer - is indeed the midfielder, whilst Christensen may well be the defender in question.
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"We've completed two signings for the next season," he said, as cited by the Metro. "One is a midfielder, the other one is a centre-back.
"But I’m not allowed to mention their names."
If the centre-back is indeed £31.5million-rated Christensen as Laporta seems to have suggested, the Dane will take comfort in the fact that he's joining an ambitious project under manager Xavi. The 25-year-old will very much be part of a new era in Catalonia should the move go ahead, one that will not include the club's greatest ever player, Lionel Messi.
Laporta has confirmed that Barcelona aren't looking to re-sign the Argentine despite his struggles to adjust to life at PSG: "It’s not something we are considering at the moment," the president said to Catalan radio station RAC1. "We're building a new team, with young players.
"I don't talk with Leo. I don't have the close communication we had before he left."
