Todd Boehly Informs Cesar Azpilicueta Of Reluctance To Sell Despite £10 Million Valuation Amid Barcelona Interest

Todd Boehly has blocked Cesar Azpilicueta's transfer to Barcelona as he is reluctant to let the Chelsea captain leave, according to reports.

The Spaniard has been a servant at Stamford Bridge since 2012 and has cemented himself as a Chelsea legend after winning everything there is to win in club football with the Blues.

With his contract set to expire in 2023, the 32-year-old has been linked to Barcelona as the Spanish side are keen to bolster their backline.

The west London side have already suffered some blows defensively this transfer window.

They lost Andreas Christensen to the same Catalan club that are after Azpilicueta and Antonio Rudiger completed a free transfer to Real Madrid.

They did however complete the signing of Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli for £34 million which is certain to help things at the back.

Xavi Hernandez has plans to raid the the Chelsea defence further though, as he wants to secure the signing of Marcos Alonso from the Blues.

Should he get the Spanish pair of Azpilicueta and Alonso it would add a vast amount of experience that could help guide the new-look side he has built.

Barcelona have already caused Thomas Tuchel's side plenty of pain this summer.

They swiped both Leeds United ace Raphinha and young French defender Jules Kounde away from Chelsea's grasp in the final moments.

Some revenge has been made by the Blues though, as they prized away Carney Chukwuemeka from a move to the Camp Nou, with Tuchel reportedly playing a key role in negotiations.

As reported by The Times, it looks as though Chelsea are not wanting to give anything else up to Barcelona.

While Azpilicueta is still optimistic a deal can be agreed for him to make the switch, it is looking more unlikely now.

Chelsea co-owner Boehly has informed the captain that the club are very reluctant to allow him to leave to the Spanish giants, for this window at least.

The American highly values the defender's experience and leadership skills and with the Blues in a difficult spot after a summer of change he can have a calming effect on the team.

Chelsea are looking for a fee in the region of £10 million should they sell, but Barcelona are only believed to be offering around £3 million.

Given the versatility the defender can offer and how reliable he has been for them for years, it is not a surprise to see them request more money for him.

It also has to be taken into consideration that after signing Koulibaly, who is just one year younger than Azpilicueta, why should the Spaniard be sold for so much less.

Should the defensive general force a move away, it would be yet another moment of pain for Blues fans in this transfer window.