Barcelona are in advanced negotiations with Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta for a free transfer at the end of the season. The 32-year-old’s contract with the Blues expires at the end of the season, and he is yet to reach an agreement with them for a renewal.
According to Spanish journalist Gerard Romero, Barcelona are quite close to reaching an agreement with the defender. They have been strongly interested in signing him for a while, and could achieve a breakthrough in negotiations soon.
Are Barcelona getting a great deal with Cesar Azpilicueta for free?
The Spain international has been with Barcelona since 2012, and will complete ten years with Chelsea in the summer. He had the honour of lifting the Champions League trophy as the Blues captain this past summer, which will go down as one of his biggest achievements.
He has made over 450 appearances for the West London outfit and is a club icon. With the emergence of Reece James as the first-choice right-back, Azpilicueta’s game time has started to decline.
Although he might be on the wrong side of 30, he can still bring a lot of leadership and experience to Barcelona. Moreover, he is extremely versatile and can play anywhere across the backline. The player also knows Xavi well from their time together in the national team.
So, if Barcelona are able to convince Cesar Azpilicueta to return home to Spain, they will be getting a remarkable defender as part of a free transfer in the summer.