The future of Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta remains far from clear as we enter the final month of the summer transfer window. The 32-year-old defender is now into the final 12 months of his contract at Stamford Bridge and has been strongly linked with a move away.
Barcelona are interested in ending Azpilicueta's 12-year stay in west London as Xavi looks to transform his squad ahead of the new season. Talks over the signing of Azpilicueta have already happened between Chelsea and Barca, but no agreement has been reached just yet.
football.london understands Azpilicueta wants to leave Chelsea this summer and start a new chapter in his career. However, Thomas Tuchel was not happy when asked about the future of his captain when in America recently.
READ MORE: Why Chelsea should keep Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso amid Barcelona transfer speculation
"Maybe a little bit," the Chelsea head coach replied when asked if he has been annoyed by Barcelona's pursuit of Azpilicueta. Then, when asked about the Spaniard's future, Tuchel said: "It's a tough question because I am not sure if I want to give Azpi what he wants.
"At some point it is about what we want. I just made the comparison about how much we fought for [Kalidou] Koulibaly, who is a national team player and roughly the same age.
"He is a hugely important player for Napoli but we have a Spanish international who is the captain of Chelsea. I see him maybe at the same level but Barcelona don't see him on that level. So I am not sure if I want to give him what he wants as he is a huge player.
"We don't think so much about other clubs. The focus is on us and what we need. I said that to him and I say it to you that I understand on a personal and a career level. But I am not only in this role to give him what he wants. I am a manager for Chelsea who wants to do what's best for Chelsea."
Tuchel made it perfectly clear that Azpilicueta wants to leave Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea's current shortage of central defensive options makes that difficult. At the moment, the Blues have Koulibaly, as Tuchel mentioned, Thiago Silva, Trevoh Chalobah, Malang Sarr, Ethan Ampadu and Levi Colwill as options at the back.
Realistically, one or two of those could leave the club in the coming weeks – whether that's on loan or permanently – making it even more imperative that Chelsea find an adequate replacement for Azpilicueta, or keep him at the club. The Spaniard can provide cover at right wing-back for Reece James as well, complicating matters even further.
What he brings in the dressing room cannot be understated, either. Azpilicueta has been at Chelsea for over 12 years now, winning Premier League and Champions League titles. He's an "integral" part of the setup at Chelsea, as former West Ham United goalkeeper Shaka Hislop pointed out.
Speaking to ESPN, Hislop said: "He is club captain and an integral part of that setup. If you're Chelsea and there's not an absolute need to sell, and you feel you can convince Azpilicueta to at least stay on for a little while longer, absolutely do it."
Despite what Hislop said, Azpilicueta wants to leave. The Spaniard has been a tremendous servant for Chelsea for over a decade. There comes a point where the club should grant a player of his stature his wish.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are interested in signing Leicester City centre-back Wesley Fofana. The Blues have entered talks with the 21-year-old's entourage and are discussing a possible deal that would see the Frenchman switch the King Power Stadium to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea have a long-term interest in Fofana and his performances for the Foxes have only attracted the club even more. However, Leicester tied Fofana down to a new long-term contract in March, meaning they are in a strong position and are in no immediate rush to sell him at the moment.
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