Last season was a forgettable campaign whose memories can’t be erased easily for the blues which caused the sacking of one of the world’s best managers and now the players will bear it’s consequences as the non performing players will be worried about their role at the club. This summer window will be a busy affair at Stamford Bridge as Antonio Conte is expected to oversee a major overhaul and offload the players qucikly.
Midfield was one of the weakest areas last season which could not shield the defense well and caused many matches to be turned for the favour of the opposition. That was mainly because of the sudden dip in Nemanja Matic’s form and a sudden ineffectiveness of Cesc Fabregas under Mourinho. This duo which were crucial members of the title winning squad brought the pressure on defense which has deteriorated by the fall of Branislas Ivanovic and John Terry at the club.
The player who has also been criticised for his lack of consistency was Cesar Azpilicueta. The Spaniard played the most number of matches for the blues this last season but was susceptible at the back which was highly unlikely for the ever Mr. Consistent. He has been rock solid for the past couple of years but was punished because of the lack of support from midfield and also due to Ivanovic. John Terry was covered by his lack of speed by Azpilicueta but with Terry also not upto the mark, the burden on Azpilicueta was too much to handle and should not be criticized as much as others because at the end of the day, him and Kurt Zouma were the best Chelsea defenders last season.
Dave as he is affectionately called by the Chelsea supporters is garnering interest from Atletico Madrid and Barcelona, and it is being reported that the Spanish Giants are expected to bid a big amount for the fullback. The blues should not even think of selling the Spaniard at this crucial junction of blues future as not only he is one of the best fullbacks in the league but surely the best at the club. Whatever system Conte applies, Azpilicueta can offer the solution as a fullback and also as a wingback.
His versatility is a thing of rarity these days as he is effective on both the flanks and has played enough matches at both the positions to make his case strong. With more solidity in the centre backs, Azpilicueta can regain his form which was lost out a bit last season. He has many years of football left in him and can become a crucial part of Conte’s plans and that is why selling Azpilicueta will be suicidal at this point.