Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta still has a two-year contract offer from Barcelona this summer, according to reports.
The 32-year-old saw his Chelsea contract extended automatically by a year last season, after reaching the number of matches required to trigger an extension clause.
However, even with a further year on his contract, Azpilicueta has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona this summer.
The most recent reports have linked Azpilicueta and his Chelsea teammate Marcos Alonso with moves to Barcelona this summer.
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However, the Catalan club are facing a financial crisis this summer, unable to pay large transfer fees for players.
This has been seen as they capitalised on Andreas Christensen’s contract expiry at Stamford Bridge to offer him an exit to Spain, as he is set to join Xavi Hernandez’s side at the end of his Chelsea spell.
The most recent reports have stated that Barcelona are hoping that Chelsea will allow Azpilicueta and Alonso to leave for a ‘very, very affordable price’ this summer as Thomas Tuchel plans his rebuild at Stamford Bridge.
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Now, Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Azpilicueta has a two-year deal with Barcelona ‘available’.
The Spanish side would have to agree a fee with Chelsea for his departure, however, as his contract was extended.
Xavi’s side were hoping to have secured Azpilicueta’s return to Spain on a free transfer, with his original deal set to expire this summer before an extension was triggered.
It remains to be seen as to whether Tuchel will be willing to let Azpilicueta leave, with Antonio Rudiger and Christensen already departing for La Liga.
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The Chelsea skipper is set to meet with the new owners of the club to discuss his future, and could ask to be granted an exit this summer.
Tuchel has previously hailed his captain but admitted that he needs him to be fully committed if he is to continue at Chelsea next season.
"He is everything Chelsea is about, and I am so, so happy he is the captain because he is humble, hard-working, a nice guy and a polite guy. I am happy that in football, it's possible a guy like this can win all the trophies. That sets the example. It sets the tone. It sets the atmosphere at a very high level,” he said.
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"We (need to) find out if he can give everything that makes him special. I think, with all the respect, he can only be special if he is committed 100 percent and does not have another little voice in his head, not one concern in his head, that he should have done something differently.
"He is only the guy he is when he is fully committed. That is his foundation. So this is what we have to find out. That does not mean we find it out tomorrow or today, we still have time because we are also in the privileged position where we have a contract. We have to see."
Barcelona will be hoping to test his loyalty as they attempt to convince him to move to the Camp Nou.
Topics: Chelsea, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours, Cesar Azpilicueta, Barcelona, Football, Marcos Alonso
Nick Emms