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Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel has opened up on speculation that defender Andreas Christensen is set to leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season and move to Barcelona on a free transfer.
Tuchel told a news conference on Wednesday, March 9 that the Denmark international has not signed a contract extension with the Blues which means his future at the club is very much in doubt, as reported by Sky Sports.
“It’s in doubt [whether he stays], we hear the rumours. The situation with Andreas has been clear for many weeks, we are not happy about it because we – club representatives and I – think it’s best for him to stay, we rely heavily on him,” he said. “We have to consider the possibility he will leave us. Will we like it? No. Will we live with it? Yes. Things are not personal, they never should be, this can happen, but I have no further information that I don’t want to share.”
Christensen has already decided to move to Barcelona, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. The 25-year-old will shortly sign a contract with the Catalan giants that runs until 2027.
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Chelsea Want Christensen to Stay
Tuchel also made it clear that he does not want to lose Christensen and spoke about how important the center-back is to the club both now and in the future.
“He is still our player; we will do what is best for us until his contract ends. He is a Chelsea player, that’s the point. He knows we appreciate him a lot,” he added. “I think this is a crucial point of his Chelsea career. It’s a crucial point where he is at the perfect age, in the perfect moment, the system in which we play, the guys who play at his side – considering all these circumstances, this is the decisive moment for him to step up and be a huge Chelsea player for the next years.”
Christensen has made 26 appearances in all competitions for Chelsea this season but does appear to be heading towards the end of his career with the west Londoners after a decade at the club.
Xavi Talks Barcelona Signings
Barcelona coach Xavi also spoke to reporters on Wednesday, March 9 about potential signings and revealed what he discussed with players when it comes to trying to convince them to move to the Camp Nou.
“The players that we want to sign, if we can talk with them, we insist on our game, our philosophy, the training, the way we work, the way players like it here because we dominate the match,” he said. “At other clubs you might get 10 touches of the ball, here you get 40. The club itself I think is one of the best in the world. The city is amazing, the history of Barca, but what convinces me is the football. Coming to Barca is a golden opportunity and we’ll always try to do the best for a player.”
The arrival of Christensen would help strengthen the Barcelona defence, and he would be expected to compete for a place in the starting XI along with Gerard Pique, Ronald Araujo, and Eric Garcia next season.
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