Barcelona will have to shell out less than €5 million to sign Spanish defender – report

Barcelona’s interest in signing Chelsea captain and defender Cesar Azpilicueta is no secret.

The 32-year-old was in the final year of his contract with the Blues, but a one-year extension clause in his deal was automatically triggered after he reached a certain number of appearances in the 2021/22 campaign.

So, Barcelona’s hopes of landing the Spanish international on a free transfer have been dealt a blow as they would now have to shell out a nominal fee to secure his services.

And, as reported by journalist Santi Ovalle, it will take a fee less than €5 million for Barcelona to land Azpilicueta from Chelsea.

It has previously been reported that the Blues might demand a sum of €11 million, but as per the latest update, it might not be such a high fee, with less than €5 million needed for Barça to complete the deal.

An icon at Stamford Bridge, Azpilicueta has spent close to ten years at the club since arriving from Marseille in 2012. The versatile defender has won every trophy he has competed for with the Blues, leading the team with distinction over the past few years.

However, he is believed to be keen on moving on from Chelsea this summer and returning to Spain, with his heart set on a move to Barcelona.

The Spaniard is reportedly hoping to convince Chelsea to let him leave on a free transfer by not enforcing the one-year extension clause.

However, the decision will be up to the new owners, who have recently completed the takeover, bringing an end to the Roman Abramovich era.