Monday, July 18, 2022 at 10:51 am• Guy Habets

Barcelona is still looking for reinforcements and also needs fresh blood in the rear. The Catalans have César Azpilicueta in mind for this, reports the Mundo Deportivo. Chelsea’s multifunctional stopper can make the switch to Camp Nou for a low fee.

Andreas Christensen was previously picked up on a free transfer from Chelsea, but the policymakers of Barça want to continue. Technical director Mateu Alemany and Jordi Cruijff, his advisor, are busy and MD knows that a ‘final offensive’ has been launched to bring Azpilicueta to Catalonia as well. The offer made is approximately three million euros. The 32-year-old Bask has only been stuck at Stamford Bridge for a year and Chelsea would be inclined to settle for a modest transfer fee.

Then the London club must first have brought in a replacement and that has not yet happened. Negotiations with Chelsea over Azpilicueta should be separated from Barcelona’s interest in Marcos Alonso. The Spaniard could also move to Camp Nou, but that deal will be discussed separately. An agreement there is also a lot further away than in the case of Azpilicueta, who could become Barca’s fifth summer signing. Franck Kessié, the aforementioned Christensen, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski already came over.

Azpilicueta went through the youth academy of Osasuna, the club from his hometown of Pamplona. After the defender broke through in the first team and made a good impression there, Olympique Marseille bought him for six million euros. Two seasons later, Chelsea was already convinced and paid almost nine million for the Basque. That transfer took place in 2012 and in the ten years that followed Azpilicueta came in the shirt of the Blues to more than 400 official matches.