César Azpilicueta still set to join Barcelona, regardless of Jules Koundé situation — reports

What Barcelona want, Barcelona get. Them’s the rules.

Having spent €100m this summer already despite being actually broke, they are far from done. Jules Koundé looks likely to join, and somehow they are going to sign and register at least one other player as well, namely César Azpilicueta, as per the latest rumblings out of the hardest-working rumor mill in all the lands.

Barcelona’s shenanigans this summer have started to really annoy us, as evidenced by Thomas Tuchel’s recent quotes on the subject matter, but that may not matter much in the end — especially in the case of Azpilicueta. (The Marcos Alonso chatter has gotten a bit quiet as of late.)

“Maybe a little bit [annoyed]. It is a tough question because I am not sure if I want to give Azpi what he wants. At some point, it is about what we want.

“[The] focus is on us and what we need. I said that to him and I say it to you that I understand on a personal and a career level. But I am not only in this role to give him what he wants. I am a manager for Chelsea who wants to do what’s best for Chelsea.

“He doesn’t like it, but he understands. It is tough for him because the other club is permanently on him.”

-Thomas Tuchel; source: ESPN

There’s no word on how many more magic money levers Barcelona will be allowed to pull.