Cesar Azpilicueta reveals he considered joining Barcelona this summer because he wanted to return to Spain and take on a fresh challenge before deciding to sign a new contract with Chelsea. Barcelona had been attempting to get the Blues captain for some time, and a transfer to Camp Nou appeared to be on the cards.
However, the 32-year-old chose to dedicate his future to Chelsea by signing a contract that extends until 2024.
Was Azpilicueta Interested In Joining Barcelona?
Azpilicueta has been at Chelsea for ten years and has won every major prize available, including two Premier League titles, the Champions League, and the Club World Cup, among many others.
Azpilicueta described his flirtation with Barcelona, saying he thought about taking on a fresh challenge after capturing the world by storm with Chelsea.
“I’m always totally honest and the conversations were there. I thought after the Club World Cup, winning this trophy and being the first player at Chelsea to win every single trophy available, that perhaps it was time to go back to Spain, maybe for a new challenge,” he told the club’s website.
“But then everything happened, we had some really good conversations with the manager and the owners. I’m the captain of this club and I wanted to stay committed to Chelsea.
“The conversations we had will remain private, but we had some really good communications, we said what we thought and then I realised that I wanted to continue to help my club.”
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Azpilicueta Thrilled About New Chelsea Project
Azpilicueta claims that the sanctions imposed on the club by the UK government as a result of previous owner Roman Abramovich’s ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin had an impact on his condition.
Chelsea were unable to start contract talks with the ex-Marseille star until a new owner arrived, but he is glad he stayed for the takeover by new co-owner Todd Boehly and believes he made the correct decision by extending his stay.
“I’m really happy to sign the new contract,” he stated. “The last few months have been a little crazy but I’m really happy to extend my stay here. It’s a new project and I’m really looking forward to the season ahead.
“It was quite a rare situation in the sense that I was coming out of contract and then the club were sanctioned in March, so nothing could be done at that time with regards to speaking about an extension, so it was difficult.
“Everybody can speak a lot about your name [in the media] but the actions I think speak louder. I stayed committed to my club, I played the games as best as I could even though I didn’t know what was going to happen.
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