Barcelona ‘yet to make formal offer’ to César Azpilicueta — report

There’s been a fair bit of smoke coming out of Catalunya about Chelsea captain César Azpilicueta, but according to The Athletic, Barcelona have yet to make a “formal offer” even though Azpi is now able to discuss terms with clubs outside the Premier League.

Of course, the 32-year-old has made it pretty clear that he’s fully committed until at least the end of the season to the club whose shirt only six players in history have worn more often than he has. But what happens after that, with his current contract set to end in June, is still in the open.

While this does not mean that Barcelona are not interested in signing Azpilicueta for free, it does mean that we have time to get a deal in place for next season. The biggest obstacle to that seems to be our club policy for one-year extensions only for players over 30, again seen recently in the case of Thiago Silva. Other teams could be willing to offer Azpi a longer-term deal, which might make him consider leaving even though he and his family are reportedly very well settled in London.

Chelsea legends tend not to actually retire at the club, but if this is to be Azpi’s final season, hopefully we can end with a trophy or two.