Cesar Azpilicueta must bear in mind that he could fall into a similar trap to Branislav Ivanovic amid an uncertain future at Chelsea. The 32-year-old, who despite extending his stay with the Blues until June 2023, has been strongly linked with a move to Barcelona.
Xavi's side first courted interest in the Spain international earlier this season as Europe's leading sides circled Chelsea's contract crisis like vultures. In March, The Guardian reported that Barcelona is in a period of financial uncertainty and wanted to capitalise on the west London side's takeover saga by signing Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.
However, Tribal Football claims that the Catalan side is now looking to retract its interest in the utility defender. While Azpilicueta has been a fantastic servant to the club since arriving ten years ago, the Spaniard must liaise with Chelsea before deciding his long-term future at Stamford Bridge.
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It would be in Azpilicueta's best interest to cast his mind back to Ivanovic's miserable departure in 2017. With Antonio Conte at the wheel, the former Serbia international began the season as Chelsea's first-choice right-back.
Ivanovic started each of the Blues' opening six 2016/17 Premier League fixtures, starring in a back-four. One of which was that clash against Arsenal, which saw Chelsea trail 3-0 at half-time.
Conte switched to a back-five, and suddenly the Serbian was relegated to the bench the following game. Ivanovic then picked up a minor muscle injury, pulling behind the rest of the pack.
Victor Moses enjoyed some blistering form, and Chelsea didn't have European football to worry about, so the veteran defender quickly slipped out of the Italian boss' plans. Ivanovic found regular first-team football hard to come by under Conte, and both parties agreed to a January move.
In his first interview following his switch to Russian side Zenit, Ivanovic said he was very 'excited' for the next chapter in his career. He went on to enjoy a fruitful-bearing period with the Russian side.
"I can say I'm very happy to come here and to be at a big club like Zenit. I hope we'll have success together," he said, speaking in February 2017. "At first, I can honestly say I didn't think about it too much. I had a very big hope of returning to Russia and playing here.
"I am motivated, and I think that I can play for many more seasons at the top level. I can say that I am excited to be here, and everything went smoothly."
After his maiden season, Ivanovic became captain and guided Zenit to consecutive league titles. But, despite having found joy elsewhere, he was robbed of the chance to properly wave goodbye to Chelsea fans.
Azpilicueta, who too is regarded as an all-time great at Stamford Bridge, could face a similar fate unless he seeks clarity on his role next season. It's unlikely that lightning will strike twice, but the Spaniard can't fall into the same trap.
