Barcelona confident to land Chelsea player, as Blues close to seal deal for 23-year-old La-Liga star
According to GOAL, Spanish side Barcelona are confident of signing Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta as a free agent at the end of the season.
After ten years at Stamford Bridge, Azpilicueta could be on his way out of Chelsea with his contract expiring at the end of the season.
Azpilicueta, 32, has been an established first-teamer for the Blues ever since he first moved to Stamford Bridge in 2012.
However he is at odds with the club over renewing his contract, giving Barca an opportunity to add him to their squad.
Barcelona boss Xavi is keen on adding quality and experience to his backline and is fighting hard to complete the deal for Azpilicueta.
Chelsea are only willing to offer Azpilicueta a one-year deal and new talks haven’t taken place between player and club since the beginning of January.
Azpilicueta joined Chelsea from Marseille in the summer of 2012 and has become a firm favourite at Stamford Bridge, racking up more than 400 appearances in his nine and a half years at the club.
During that time he has helped the Blues to a host of trophies, including two Premier League titles and last year’s Champions League.
Blues close to seal deal for 23-year-old La-Liga star
Chelsea are likely to bid goodbye to some of their defenders at the end of this season.
In order not to be caught unawares, the Blues are already on the lookout for players that could serve as replacements.
A latest report has alleged that Chelsea have stepped up their efforts to secure a deal for Sevilla defender Jules Kounde ahead of the summer transfer window.
Chelsea were in the race to sign the France international last year but dropped interest In him after Sevilla insisted that their player’s release clause needed to be met in full.
Despite not meeting the demands as of then, Chelsea have retained an interest in the 23-year-old, who they know is keen on a transfer to West London.
According to Tuttomercatoweb, director Marina Granovskaia is attempting to negotiate terms successfully with her counterparts at the La Liga side.
The report claimed that Chelsea are prepared to pay a guaranteed £46m, with a further £4m potentially being shelled out in add-ons.
With his defensive teammate Diego Carlos being linked with a move to the Premier League, Sevilla will not consider selling Kounde in January and as such, the Blues will have to wait till summer.