Chelsea's transfer dealings with Barcelona could be far from over as the two clubs continue to come across each other with contrasting transfer plans this summer.
The Blues have already lost Andreas Christensen on a free transfer to the Catalan giants, and they are in a battle with Xavi's side to snap up Ousmane Dembele, now a free agent, with both clubs offering the winger a contract to secure his services.
Furthermore, reports coming out of Spain suggest that Todd Boehly could now be set to hijack Manchester United's attempts to bring in Frenkie De Jong, with Chelsea looking to refresh their midfield options ahead of next season. This is still not the end of the dealings between the two clubs, though, Barcelona are also the club most likely to jeopardise Chelsea's hunt to land Leeds winger Raphina, with the Premier League side handing out an ultimatum regarding his future.
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Normally, this would be enough of a coming together between clubs to last several seasons, but there doesn't appear to be a sour relationship between the two parties, especially because the possibility of more internal conversations is going to continue in the coming months.
Not only have Chelsea already been heavily damaged by defenders running down contracts with Antonio Rudiger and Christensen heading to Spain without any compensation for their former owners, but it could happen again.
As it stands, Blues captain Cesar Azpilicueta is still under contract for another year. That's after the club triggered a one-year extension in March. It is believed that this was an option taken for several reasons; Azpilicueta is still seen as an important senior figure at Stamford Bridge. He commands respect from his peers, remains comfortable and happy in London, and is still useful for Tuchel on the pitch. However, an extra reason is that it allows Chelsea to sell the player and recoup some money for his services, especially considering Barcelona is keen on the player. It was a deal that both Azpilicueta and the club were happy with, without committing to anything longer.
Marcos Alonso, however, has not signed anything new since 2018, and his deal also runs out in summer 2023. The 31-year-old is interested in a move away from Chelsea, and his exit makes sense for both parties as Tuchel looks to free up some valuable room in his wage budget, especially with the incoming of Raheem Sterling's sizable contract.
Barcelona are looking to take advantage of free transfers and reduced prices. The Spanish giants have sounded Chelsea out for both players and are heavily confident that both transfers can be completed this window.
Far from being a secret, former teammate Christensen might just have officially let the cat out of the bag, though, admitting, on his Barcelona unveiling, that he has spoken to the Spanish duo:
"I have spoken with them [Azpilicueta and Alonso] and told them that I would go to Barça. They are great friends, and I hope I can play with them. I still haven't met the teammates here who have a lot of quality. I want to play with them again next season."
Christensen also admitted that he sought the advice of international teammates and Barcelona forward Martin Braithwaite.
"I did speak with him, and when I mentioned the possibility to him, also with Marcos and César, he told me very positive things about the city and the Spanish culture. I was excited and wanted to be a part of it. He talked to me more about life here than about football."
Not that the mutual interest between Chelsea's amigos and Barcelona is of government intelligence, it's unlikely that the Danish centre-back's former employees will thank him for these public admissions. The Spanish way of communicating is very different to England, though, and the sporting director at Camp Nou, Jordi Cruyff, had more to say about the club's London-based targets.
"It is true that the change of ownership at Chelsea delays everything a bit," explained Cruyff. "We want to reinforce several positions in the team, and we have several names on the table."
Both Azpilicueta and Alonso are expected to be a part of the Chelsea squad that starts their pre-season tour of America next week, and given the speed of Barcelona's current transfer dealings, any moves away from Cobham could take some time.
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