Barcelona fear Premier League star may not come to Camp Nou in the summer

Barcelona are expected to raid Chelsea for at least three defensive players in the summer. They are thought to have already secured the signing of Andreas Christensen, while they have been in contact with Antonio Rudiger as well.

A recent report from Diario SPORT has offered an update on Barcelona’s pursuit of Chelsea’s third centre-back, in the form of Cesar Azpilicueta.

The Spaniard is considered one of the best defenders in the Premier League. His performances have been crucial towards Chelsea’s recent success under Thomas Tuchel.

He also has over 450 competitive appearances to his name for the Blues, making him one of the most established defenders in Europe.

Barça have been on Azpilicueta’s tail for a long time now, with the club valuing the defender highly for his experience at the highest level of football, coupled with his leadership and versatility at the back.

Barcelona had attempted to sign the 32-year-old by offering a two-year contract. But their hopes of signing the defender were derailed by Chelsea hinting at a potential one-year extension clause.

Sport claim there is a consensus among the Barcelona camp that Azpilicueta may not come to Camp Nou in the summer. They believe Chelsea will be able to tie him down to a contract extension to one year, which could keep him at Stamford Bridge until 2023.

It could be a major blow for a Barcelona side desperate for a defensive leader amid the uncertain future of Dani Alves, whose fate at Camp Nou lies in the hands of Xavi Hernandez.

Nevertheless, Barcelona are expected to remain in the race to sign Azpilicueta until the very end. While the extension clause may have already been triggered, the club have refused to retract their two-year offer.

We could be gearing up for an important summer ahead and it will be interesting to see how this saga transpires over the coming months.