Chelsea club captain Cesar Azpilicueta has left the club on a free transfer to join Atletico Madrid. Since moving from Ligue 1 team Olympique de Marseille in 2012, the defender has become a regular at Stamford Bridge, making over 500 appearances, scoring 17 goals, and winning every major trophy available.
“Cesar Azpilicueta makes a lasting impression at Chelsea as a stalwart Chelsea icon, a fighter, and a champion,” Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly said. “He has been the club’s standard-bearer for more than a decade and has shown everyone what is necessary to succeed consistently.”
The 33-year-old has signed a one-year contract with Atletico Madrid after Chelsea decided to release their club captain with one year remaining on his agreement. As more players depart Chelsea this summer, including Kalidou Koulibaly, N’Golo Kante, and Edouard Mendy, who all signed with Saudi Pro League teams, Azpilicueta joins the list. Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, and Kai Havertz have all joined Premier League rivals Manchester City, Manchester United, and Arsenal, respectively.
The Blues signed Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku during the current transfer window as they want to turn things around under new manager Mauricio Pochettino after placing 12th previous season, which was their worst domestic campaign since 1994. Chelsea is also rumored to be interested in Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo this summer, and they are expected to make an official announcement shortly.
Despite continuous interest from Liverpool and Brighton, Levi Colwill won’t be leaving Chelsea this summer. The 20-year-old defender, who shone for England Under-21s as they defeated Israel 3-0 on Wednesday to reach to the European Championship final in Georgia, has not had any interest from the club. He now has a contract that runs until the summer of 2024, with the possibility of an extension provided specific conditions are reached. Colwill played 22 times for Brighton during his loan season there last year as the Seagulls advanced to the European League.
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