Barcelona are prepared to make Andreas Christensen a transfer priority next season, hoping to snap him up from Chelsea for free.

According to football journalist Gerard Romero, Barcelona are eyeing a Bosman move for Andreas Christensen. The Chelsea defender has emerged as a top target for the Spanish giants, who are aware of his situation at Stamford Bridge, especially with his current contract expiring at the end of the season.

Formerly of Brondby, Christensen has been a part of the Chelsea side since 2012. However, it was not until the 2015/16 campaign when he made his professional breakthrough during a two-year loan spell at Borussia Monchengladbach. The defender made 82 appearances for the Foals before returning to Stamford Bridge in 2017.

The Danish defender had to remain patient for his first-team opportunities at Chelsea. While he did feature in 27 league outings during the 2017/18 campaign, it has truly been a rough ride, with the centre-back largely playing the role of a second-fiddle defender.

That changed after the appointment of Thomas Tuchel. Well aware of his success at Gladbach, the German tactician offered more starting opportunities to Christensen, who played a key role in Chelsea’s successful 2020/21 campaign and has now emerged as a first-team regular, with eight league outings so far this season.

A very redeeming display from Andres Chiristensen tonight. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
Is it time to move on? (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

Christensen has indeed built a formidable defensive partnership with the likes of Antonio Rudiger, Thiago Silva and Cesar Azpilicueta. His success has not gone unnoticed either, with Barcelona prepared to offer him the opportunity to come to Catalonia and become the potential face of the club’s new-look defence under the leadership of Xavi.

Interestingly, the Blaugrana have also been linked with a move for Christensen’s Chelsea teammate in Antonio Rudiger, who is another player unhappy at Stamford Bridge. His contract expires next summer as well, with Barcelona among the clubs in contention to sign him on a free transfer.

Even Azpilicueta has lately emerged as a transfer target for the Catalans, who are desperate to shore up their defensive options and move on from fringe players like Samuel Umtiti and Clement Lenglet.

As for Chelsea, it appears they have a battle on their hands to keep hold of their defensive assets next season. While Thiago Silva is destined to move on, the Blues are going to fight tooth and nail to prevent the likes of Rudiger, Azpilicueta and Christensen from leaving the club, as Tuchel looks to preserve the defensive core of his team.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

I agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Recommended

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.