Cesar Azpilicueta, the captain of Chelsea, left the club after 11 trophy-filled seasons with the Blues and signed a one-year contract with Atletico Madrid.

Cesar Azpilicueta announced his transfer to Atletico Madrid while bidding a tearful farewell to Chelsea.

After 11 years at Stamford Bridge, the Spaniard, who joined as a relatively unknown player from Marseille for just £7m, will bring the curtain down on his time there. Azpilicueta became the only player in club history to win every award available while playing in west London.

The 33-year-old has decided that the time is right to bid the club farewell as they go through a significant player turnover, but his emotional attachment to the club is evident to all as he gets ready to leave after more than 500 appearances in blue.

It’s hard to put into words what I feel, said Azpiliceuta, who broke down in tears as soon as the video started. Just saying thanks to everyone because it’s been wonderful. I hope to welcome everyone back here one day because this is my home. “.

The adaptable defender had to make a name for himself in a locker room with leaders like Petr Cech, John Terry, and Frank Lampard when he joined the team a year after the club’s Champions League triumph. The locker room was jam-packed with football and club legends. I was aware that I had to work hard to earn my place, Azpilicueta said.

Azpilicueta, who began his career at Osasuna, has signed a one-year contract with La Liga powerhouse Atletico.

After taking over as captain, the Spaniard’s departure leaves new manager Mauricio Pochettino searching for a replacement. After defeating Benfica to win the Europa League in its inaugural season, Azpiliceuta went on to repeat as champions six years later in Baku.

We are bidding an emotional farewell to a Chelsea great.

Thank you for everything, @CesarAzpi. 💙 pic.twitter.com/wHDcALJX5m

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 6, 2023

The Spaniard alternated between playing in a back four and a back three, switching between a variety of positions. He won his first Premier League championship in 2015, during Jose Mourinho’s second term, and his second two years later, under Antonio Conte. When Azpilicueta won his sole FA Cup, the Italian also captained Chelsea.

With the Spaniard starting as one of a back three, they won the Champions League in 2021. A few months later, he was able to celebrate victories in the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup.

“Cesar leaves an everlasting mark at Chelsea, as a warrior, as a champion, and as loyal Chelsea legend,” the club’s chairman Todd Boehly and co-controlling owner Behdad Eghbali said on the club’s website. He has been the club’s standard-bearer for more than a decade and has shown everyone what is necessary to succeed consistently.

Coaches and former and current teammates have confidence in him to serve as captain and set an example for the team. We are appreciative of what he has done, both on and off the field, to be so impeccable. Cesar is always welcome to return to Stamford Bridge for that and a lot more. “.

More news………

Following the Moises Caicedo talks, Chelsea experiences transfer setbacks with Arsenal and Liverpool.

This summer, with Chelsea concentrating on Moises Caicedo, Arsenal and Liverpool have both surpassed the Blues in the race to sign highly regarded Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia.

In the race to sign Romeo Lavia from Southampton this summer, Arsenal and Liverpool have both edged out Chelsea.

football.London has learned that Chelsea and Saints had preliminary discussions about a potential transfer for the Belgian midfielder last month, but interest has reportedly waned recently. With Manchester City having a £40 million buy-back option that becomes available next summer, Southampton is asking for £50 million for Lavia.

The 19-year-old defensive midfielder is still a target for Chelsea, but at the moment, at least in terms of the midfield, they are focused on Brighton’s Moises Caicedo. The Ecuadorian international, who has verbally agreed to move to Stamford Bridge on personal terms, has recently reopened negotiations with the Seagulls.

Chelsea’s challenge, however, is reaching a deal with Brighton, who have a reputation for being shrewd negotiators when it comes to offloading their star players in recent transfer windows. Caicedo’s desire to leave the team was discussed with Roberto De Zerbi throughout the season, but Brighton are asking for around £80 million for him, and Chelsea do not want to pay that amount as a one-time fee.

As they have done over the past 12 months with players like Enzo Fernandez, Mykhailo Mudryk, and Wesley Fofana, the Blues would prefer to structure the deal in a different way. When negotiating with Brighton, the residents of west London would want to add extras and potential bonuses.

Chelsea’s attention has been directed toward acquiring Caicedo, so their interest in Lavia has been put on hold—at least for the time being. Following the Saints’ relegation to the Championship, both Liverpool and Arsenal have recently spoken with Southampton to discuss the future of the Belgian international.

The Gunners intend to make a move for Lavia in the upcoming weeks while also completing the more than £100 million acquisition of Declan Rice. Ahead of the upcoming season, Liverpool, who has already added Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai to their midfield ranks, is also looking to add Lavia.

Football was informed by a source.
This is bad news for Chelsea as it follows reports from London that negotiations with Liverpool regarding a move to Anfield have “gone well” lately. Although Chelsea hasn’t been completely eliminated from the running, the Lavia deal is becoming less and less likely as time goes on because Caicedo is now the center of attention.