Chelsea transfer news: Cesar Azpilicueta says Barcelona move would have been ‘selfish’

Cesar Azpilicueta says it would have been “selfish” to leave Chelsea this summer.

The club captain, who added the Club World Cup to his trophy cabinet last season to complete the set, was a target for Barcelona.

Azpilicueta had agreed a deal with the La Liga giants, who also signed Andreas Christensen from Chelsea before landing targets Raphinha and Jules Kounde.

Despite Barca’s attempts to bring him back to Spain, however, the 32-year-old signed a new two-year contract at Stamford Bridge.

Thomas Tuchel stressed he was keen to keep the Spanish international in SW6 after a summer of change to his backline, with Antonio Rudiger also leaving for Real Madrid.

Kalidou Koulibaly and Marc Cucurella have arrived to offer fresh options, while the club continue to chase a move for Leicester City’s Wesley Fofana.

Opening up on the Barcelona saga when speaking to Sky Sports, Azpilicueta said: "I always stayed committed to the club, it’s how I’ve been since day one.

"This is my home and I never took the selfish decision [to leave].

"After the Club World Cup, I shared my feelings [about leaving], it was never a decision about contract years or wages. I expressed my feelings and then everything changed with the ownership and sanctions.

"I dealt with the situation in my own way. We [he and the new owners] had honest conversations and I’m really proud to be the Chelsea captain and I’m looking forward for the next years. I decided that the best thing for everybody was to stay."

One player who could still leave Chelsea for Barcelona is Marcos Alonso, with transfer talks continuing after the player agreed a two-year deal at the Camp Nou.