According to rumors, Cesar Azpilicueta has reached a personal agreement on a two-year contract with Inter Milan, who finished second in the Champions League. He is expected to depart Chelsea this summer.
Last summer, the 33-year-old agreed to a two-year extension at Stamford Bridge, but his contract is expected to be mutually cancelled to allow him to move to Italy.
In their inaugural Premier League match of the year, Liverpool travels to Chelsea with Azpilicueta the newest player on the verge of leaving the team.
The Reds and Blues drew 0-0 in both of their league encounters last season, and this season, as Mauricio Pochettino manages his first transfer window, the Reds will face a different-looking Blues team.
The mutual termination of Azpilicueta’s contract, according to Fabrizio Romano, will be the ‘final step’ in his departure from Chelsea as he gets ready to finish his 11-year affiliation with the team.
In his more than 500 appearances for Chelsea since his initial signing in 2012, he has scored 17 goals and given 56 assists.
Chelsea and Liverpool both missed out on qualifying for the Champions League last season, with the Reds earning a spot in the Europa League and the Blues having a dismal campaign that saw them finish in the bottom half of the standings.
On August 13, the two teams renew their battle at Stamford Bridge. As they search for new players, Liverpool has already signed Alexis Mac Allister.
A large number of exits have been on the agenda at Chelsea, with Mason Mount the subject of three unsuccessful bids from Manchester United while N’Golo Kanté has moved to the Saudi Pro League.
Defender Kalidou Koulibaly is poised to undergo a medical with Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia with Romano claiming his move is a done deal. Hakim Ziyech is another Chelsea star off to Saudi Arabia, along with goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
