Exit bound? Barcelona-linked Chelsea defender comments on his future

With the popularisation of offensive football in the last ten years, few defenders have been able to cement their legacy in Europe. Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos, Thiago Silva, Mats Hummels match the criteria, to name a few. But one name that is often forgotten among these is that of Cesar Azpilicueta.

The Chelsea captain joined the Premier League ten years ago and has been relentlessly brilliant season after season. Not only has he delivered high-level performances without fail, but the Spaniard has also maintained that level across three to four different positions. His contract, however, is set to expire in June this year.

Speaking ahead of the Club World Cup semi-final, Azpilicueta was asked to comment on his future. Like the absolute professional he is, the 32-year-old dismissed the question.

“I’m not going to speak about my future. I arrived in London in 2012 without kids, my kids were born there, you know how I feel about Chelsea but I’m not going to comment on the future.”

One of the reasons for Azpilicueta’s contract dispute that has been making the air is that Chelsea are not offering him a renewal beyond one year. The London outfit only hand out single-year renewals to players over 30 as a strict policy.

As the clock ticks down towards June, Barcelona are one of the clubs strongly linked with ‘Azpi’, along with the also soon-to-be free Andreas Christensen. The final decision, however, rests with the players, who have been handed offers already.

Source: Chelsea Live