Barcelona are confident of securing Cesar Azpilicueta on a free transfer next summer when his contract at Chelsea comes to an end. Meanwhile, the club is also keen on signing former academy player Adama Traore, who has also been linked with Spurs.
Azpilicueta’s decade-long career at Chelsea could be reaching its end with FC Barcelona confident of signing him for free next summer, reports Goal.com. The full-back joined the Blues from Marseille for a relatively minor fee of 8.8 million euros in 2012 and, in the years since, has evolved into a crucial player. One who would go on to captain the team following the departures of John Terry and Gary Cahill.
However, the Spaniard presently finds himself at an impasse with Chelsea. With his reaching its conclusion in six months, the club is offering him a one-year extension with the option to extend it by another year – as has been the policy at the club regarding players above the age of 30.
The two parties haven’t been able to strike an agreement on those terms yet, while no new talks have taken place between them since the start of the year. As is reported, Barcelona are keeping a close eye on the situation, with Xavi Hernandez keen to add the veteran Spain international to his budding squad.
While Barcelona will have to wait at least until the summer to capture Azpilicueta, one who could be on his way to Camp Nou in the coming days is Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Adama Traore. The Spaniard came through the club’s infamous La Masia academy before moving to England; as per reports, he is closing in on a return to his boyhood club despite interest from Tottenham Hotspur.
Gerard Romero confirms the same: claiming that the deal to take Traore back to Spain is all but agreed. The winger will sign for Barcelona on a six-month loan until the end of the season, and the club will retain the option to sign him permanently at the end of the stipulated loan period for a fee of 35 million euros.
