Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta is “open” to leaving the club as he is “tempted” by a potential return to Spain, according to reports.
The 32-year-old came through the ranks at Osasuna and he spent two years at Marseille between 2010 and 2012.
Chelsea paid around £7m to sign the defender at the start of the 2012/13 campaign.
Would Chelsea still be f***ed without Abramovich?
Azpilicueta has been a stalwart for the Blues since his move as he has been a consistent high-level performer.
He has won the Premier League twice as well as the Champions League and FA Cup with Chelsea.
Spanish outlet MARCA are reporting that Azpilicueta has “opened the option” of leaving Chelsea. He is said to be of the view that has “achieved everything” in England.
They add that his “temptation to leave is increasing”. Barcelona and Atletico Madrid are named as the main clubs interested in him. His current contract is due to expire in 2022.
Elsewhere, Thomas Tuchel spoke with the media on Wednesday. He was asked about Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has been stripped of the captaincy at Arsenal.
Tuchel can “only say the best things” about the forward:
“I will [contact him] at some point, but also I don’t want to disturb him. He was a very important player for me, and we had a very important relationship together. I can only say the best things about him as a person and a player.
“I am sorry to see him in trouble, because that is not a place he should be considering his qualities and character. But I am not involved in what is going on at the club he is at now, and I am not judging what is right and wrong.”
Tuchel went onto reveal that Kovacic will be out for “six or seven weeks”:
“Right now, Mateo Kovacic is released back into training the day after tomorrow. He will have been six or seven weeks out. It will take a while for them to be back up to speed.
“I think that Romelu can play around 70 minutes. He did so against Zenit, but then we had a lot of travelling, lack of sleep and a very competitive opponent in Leeds so we kept him out of that maelstrom.”
On Conor Gallagher, he added: “I have said many times we like Conor and we see his goals and contributions. There is no regret about letting him go on loan, it seems like it is the perfect place for him.”
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