The Chelsea situation might hinder this deal for Barcelona
Barcelona and Chelsea have been linked for quite a while now. First, it was for Sergino Dest, who was not getting enough time, then it was via Ousmane Dembele who Barca tried to sell in the winter and finally, it was due to Cesar Azpilicueta and Andreas Christensen. The Catalans wanted to get both of these players for free in the next transfer window and it seemed extremely possible. Both of these players were running out of contract and they were unable to negotiate new deals with the Blues. The Blaugrana have almost secured the Christensen deal but with the new sanctions being placed upon Chelsea, they might miss out on Azpilicueta.
The right-back is one of the most solid and consistent players in the world and he captained Chelsea to the UEFA Champions League trophy last season. He would have been an incredible addition to the team and could have been a temporary fix until a younger alternative was found. However, with the new sanctions, the Blues are not allowed to bring in any new players or offer any new contracts. This makes it difficult for the English side, as they need to renew a lot of contracts and also sign a few new players.
Barcelona could lose out on this transfer deal due to unforeseen circumstances
Azpilicueta’s contract is running out however, there is a clause in the contract which allows the club to unilaterally extend his contract by one more year if he plays a certain number of games this season. While the number of games required is unknown, it is believed that he is getting quite close to the clause. The London side would most likely trigger this clause because they need to secure some players, as they are going to lose a lot of players at the end of the season. This is a hassle for Barca as a new right-back would really help them because Dest is no longer in the plans and Dani Alves cannot do everything on his own.
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The Catalans are not completely without any alternatives though, as they are trying to secure the young right-back from Ajax and are actually quite close to sealing the deal. Thus, this won’t be the end of the world for Barca fans.