'Cesar Azpilicueta Is Very Fortunate To Be At Chelsea. I Don't Think He's A Great Defender'

Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta is "very fortunate" to be at a club like Chelsea, according to Neil Warnock, who believes the Spaniard isn't a "great defender".

The 32-year-old full-back, who has been strongly linked with a move away in recent months, became the first player in Chelsea history to win every major trophy after the Blues beat Palmeiras in the Club World Cup final.

Azpilicueta played a crucial role in the win against Abel Ferreira's side. He performed admirably throughout and absorbed all of the pressure onto himself before Kai Havertz converted the winning spot-kick - as you can see in the clip below.

Despite his trophy-laden spell at the Premier League club, however, former Middlesbrough and Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock believes the defender is lucky to be at Stamford Bridge.

"I think it goes two ways to be honest," Warnock told talkSPORT. "I think Azpilicueta has been a very fortunate lad to be a at a club like Chelsea. I don't think he is a great defender. 

"Sometimes in football you need a bit of luck and I think he's had a bit of luck at the right time and in the right place. 

"That's what you need in football, you need a bit of luck to be successful."

Here is the full clip of Warnock speaking about Chelsea captain Azpilicueta on talkSPORT below.

In terms of Azpilicueta's future, the 32-year-old defender will undoubtedly go down as a club legend but he could leave Chelsea on a free transfer at the end of the 2021/22 season.

Having joined the Blues in 2012, the Spanish international has lifted two Champions League trophies as well as two Premier League titles and an FA Cup, amongst other silverware.

But the Chelsea captain has struggled for regular game time in recent years. His contract comes to an end in June 2022 and according to reports, he will opt for a free transfer rather than a contract extension.

Spanish outlet MARCA claim Barcelona could be a good fit, a club that have reportedly been following his contract situation for a long time.

Thoughts on Warnock's latest comments about Azpilicueta?

Let us know in the comments.

Featured Image Credit: Alamy

Topics: Transfers, Chelsea, Cesar Azpilicueta, Premier League

Jack Kenmare

Senior Journalist at SPORTbible with a passion for long-form journalism. Almost 10 years’ experience across online and print.

@jackkenmare_