Barcelona reportedly have their eye on three major members of the Chelsea squad as they look to reshuffle the Camp Nou pack.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Andreas Christensen, Cesar Azpilicueta and Antonio Rudiger are all under consideration by the Spanish club.
Barca’s bargain hunt
How can Barca even be thinking about making new signings whilst their walls continue to crumble around them, you might ask.
Well, there is a common theme amongst the Chelsea players they are apparently circling.
Apart from being prominent parts of the Blues’ back-line, and away from the shared Champions League triumph, a much simpler reason explains Barca’s intrigue.
Christensen, Azpilicueta and Rudiger’s contracts all expire next summer.
That means they will be become free agents and open to the market.
The operative word there, if you hadn’t guessed, is free.
Zero. Nothing. Zilch.
The price Barca would have to pay for any one of the esteemed Stamford Bridge centurions.
La Liga’s sleeping giant could improve their camp, whilst also saving some cash, wages permitted.
Back off from the Blues
However, claiming their freebies from Chelsea might not be so easy.
Or impossible in fact, depending on how situations unfold at Stamford Bridge.
There have been plenty of positive signs pointing towards an extension for Christensen.
Fabrizio Romano explained it was more a matter of when not if for the great Dane.
Rudiger’s circumstance is a lot less clear.
He is seemingly still holding out for a salary increase, a demand the Blues have yet to succumb to.
Fail to strike an agreement with his employers and the centre-back will be able to start talks with other teams in January.
One of those potentially being Barca, although they might need to fend off Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in the process.
There has been absolutely no word on Azpilicueta’s conditions, so fans await to find out more context about their captain.
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox
