Tuchel says this defender is free to leave Stamford Bridge

Chelsea manager and Germany international Thomas Tuchel, in a latest statement, has stated that the club defender and captain Cesar Azpilicueta is free to leave the club.

This comes as Azpilicueta has been linked with a possible departure to Spanish club Barcelona in the January transfer window.

The Blue defender will see his current contract with Chelsea lapse at the end of this season, and so far, there are no talks of a possible contract extension.

This means starting from January 1st, Azpilicueta will be free to sign a pre-contract form with any club interested in him.

“I don’t see any problem here. The situation between Azpi, me and the club is very clear. He is our captain,” Tuchel told reporters ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League match against Wolves.

“He has all possibilities to stay here as long as possible and become the legend he already is. He is a fantastic captain and a fantastic player.

“If there are some weeks where he does not play so much, like in the last weeks, there are some reasons.

“First of all, he was injured in his shoulder. Second of all, the team played very strong in his positions with Trevoh [Chalobah] and Andreas [Christensen], and at wing-back with Reece [James].

“That’s how it is. If there is any player who knows it is like this, it’s Azpi. He is very calm. He has everything in his own hands. I see no signs we should be worried about it.”