Cesar Azpilicueta, a full defender for Chelsea, is in negotiations to join Atletico Madrid.
With the exception of the Community Shield, the Spanish international’s lengthy tenure at Stamford Bridge will come to an end. During that time, he won every single club prize available.
The 33-year-old, who had a two-year deal in place in the Spanish capital and had received an offer from Inter Milan, is anticipated to move on a free transfer.
As a result, the seasoned Blues star will soon join a litany of players who have left Stamford Bridge. Mason Mount is also on the verge of leaving for Manchester United after a £60 million transfer cost was agreed upon.
Azpilicueta is still under contract with Chelsea for another year, but the team is open to letting him leave for nothing or a little compensation.
The player’s contract last season came at a time when bodies were scarce in defense, and it is believed that the player and the club have an arrangement in place that would allow him to go whenever he chooses.
He could have returned to Spain and joined Andreas Christensen and Marcos Alonso at Barcelona, but he chose to stay in west London.
However, according to rumours in Italy, he is now enraged by the way Chelsea has treated him and has asked to end his contract a year early so that he can freely decide on his future.
He appeared to be on his way to Inter, the Champions League champions who are in need of defensive reinforcements after losing Milan Skriniar to Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer.
Before Diego Simeone’s team raced in to complete a smash-and-grab deal for the Spaniard, it was believed that he was due for a medical in the Italian capital.
The versatile Azpilicueta will cover the apparent void at the right side of the defence left by the release of former Tottenham and Wolves defender Matt Doherty.
In a busy summer, Chelsea has already lost players like Kai Havertz, Edouard Mendy, Mateo Kovacic, N’Golo Kante, and Kalidou Koulibaly.