Report: Club confident they can sign Chelsea’s longest-serving player this summer, Tuchel doesn’t want to sell

Add as preferred source on Google

Reports suggest Barcelona are still confident they can sign Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta this summer.

According to The Athletic, the Catalan side are not finished with their business after securing the signing of Jules Kounde ahead of the Blues earlier this week,

The 32-year-old is the club’s longest serving player, after spending a decade with the club and winning every trophy available to him.

However, he was firmly expected to leave the club this summer, as part of a complete defensive overhaul from Thomas Tuchel which has so far seen Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen already move on.

Despite this ambition, the lack of activity in the transfer market has seen them unable to bring in requisite signings, with them now looking short for options at the back.

This could lead to them keeping hold of Azpilicueta, with The Athletic claiming the club hold the power over where he plays his football next season.

Barcelona confident in signing Azpilicueta

Tuchel in particular was angry with the situation that lead to him not having Kounde at his disposal for next season, with Barcelona again proving the thorn in the club’s side in the market.

This reportedly left him hesitant to sell the Spaniard, with his experience also being somewhat of a rarity among the current squad.

While his attacking play has certainly dropped off in the past few seasons, Azpilicueta still proves a great option for the right of a back three, providing the necessary defensive cover for the marauding Reece James.

His experience at the top of the game also makes him the perfect role model for some of the club’s younger defenders.

Thiago Silva’s impact on Trevoh Chalobah was clear to see last season, and supporters will be hoping a similar impact can be had on Levi Colwill, who now looks set to stay with the club going into this season.