Barcelona close in on Chelsea captain, deal to be completed in the next few hours

As per the latest update from Javi Miguel of AS, Barcelona may have achieved a breakthrough in their pursuit of Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta.

The 32-year-old has been a top target for the Blaugrana to reinforce the right-back position following the departure of Dani Alves and the impending exit of Oscar Mingueza.

Barça have had an agreement over personal terms with Azpilicueta for some time now. However, his automatic one-year contract extension with Chelsea and the change of ownership at Stamford Bridge led to the stalling of the deal.

However, as per Javi Miguel, fresh talks have taken place between the two parties in the last few hours and Azpilicueta is closing in on joining Barcelona. It is believed that Chelsea’s new owners have agreed to sanction the Spanish international’s transfer.

The report states that a deal could be finalised in the next few hours. It is further claimed that Barcelona plan to announce the capture of Azpilicueta next week so that he can incorporate into the squad for the pre-season tour to the United States of America.

Azpilicueta’s imminent arrival would mean that Barcelona will have signed two defenders from Chelsea, having recently completed the capture of Andreas Christensen, albeit on a free transfer.

A versatile operator, Azpilicueta is capable of playing anywhere across the backline which would make him a valuable asset for Xavi Hernandez’s side. His experience and leadership would also add a lot to this Barcelona setup.

With Azpilicueta’s deal almost in the bag, Barça will now look to snap up his fellow Chelsea left-back Marcos Alonso as well.