Barcelona Interested in Chelsea's César Azpilicueta
Chelsea's César Azpilicueta has been flying under the radar for years now. He will never be as popular as some of his teammates like Eden Hazard, N'Golo Kanté or Thibaut Courtois, but he's a vital cog in the well-oiled machine at Stamford Bridge.
In fact, he's so good that former Blues manager José Mourinho once said they could win the Champions League title if he fielded a squad made up of 11 Azpilicuetas.
Azpilicueta has already proven his worth to the Chelsea faithful time and time again. They know he's a terrific defender, but he remains one of the most underrated players in the Premier League. Well, perhaps he will get the recognition he deserves if he joins one of the top clubs in La Liga.
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According to Spanish publication Sport, Barcelona are going to target Azpilicueta this summer if they miss out on Arsenal's Héctor Bellerín.
"Sporting director Robert Fernandez has begun talks to find out Azpilicueta's situation. Ernesto Valverde's arrival strengthens this option as he's a player the new Barcelona coach has always liked. He already tried to sign him when he was Athletic Club coach," Jordi Gil said in his report for Sport.
"A player with a lot of qualities, Barça are primarily thinking in Azpi as a right-back. However, he's played in a back three for Chelsea this season and has also shown he can play at left-back," he continued.
Gil also said Azpilicueta is valued at around €25 million, but Chelsea will probably want more for the defender.
Azpilicueta will be a great addition to Barcelona, but the Daily Mail has reported that the Blues are confident that they will be able to keep the defender this offseason.
The Spanish footballer is happy where he is and he's under contract until 2020. That means Chelsea don't really have much of a reason to sell him right now.
