Chelsea icon Cesc Fabregas fears Thomas Tuchel will lose ‘great player’ who ‘shocked’ him
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Chelsea icon Cesc Fabregas has urged the Blues to retain ‘great player’ Andreas Christensen this summer. The defender sees his contract expire at the end of June and will be free to leave if he does not renew his terms.
Christensen is one of three key defenders who could depart in the summer as boss Thomas Tuchel faces revamping his entire backline.
Antonio Rudiger and Cesar Azpilicueta also have deals that end ahead of next season.
None of the trio seem any closer to extending their contracts in a major worry for Tuchel.
The German could be left with just a 37-year-old Thiago Silva and youngster Trevoh Chalobah as his only centre-back options.
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Chelsea have been warned they must tie down Christensen to a renewed deal by former midfielder Fabregas, with the 25-year-old linked to Barcelona among other top European clubs.
The Spaniard admits to being surprised at how good the Denmark international was when they trained together.
Fabregas departed Stamford Bridge in January 2019 – just before Christensen became a first-team regular. But the centre-back left a lasting impression.
“Christensen is being linked to Barca, and I can tell you he’s a great player,” Fabregas told popular Twitch streaming channel Jijantes.
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“He is fast, strong, great with the ball, agile, positions himself well. When I first arrived at Chelsea, he was a youngster training with the first team, and I was already surprised.”
Chelsea could be set for a defensive crisis in the summer, with Rudiger and Azpilicueta also out of contract.
The latter, who is approaching 10 years at the club, refused to comment on his future when quizzed ahead of the Blues’ Club World Cup semi-final win over Al-Hilal.
Meanwhile, Rudiger said in October that talks between his representatives and Chelsea were ongoing but, five months on, there appears to be little progress.
All three can theoretically sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club ahead of a summer switch.
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Bayern Munich are one of several teams to have an interest in Rudiger but have reportedly pulled out of the race due to his wage demands, while Chelsea are said to be readying a £200,000-a-week offer in a desperate bid to tie him down.
Addressing the speculation around the futures of several of his stars recently, Tuchel warned that no player is bigger than Chelsea.
“We absolutely accept and are fully aware of the importance of Toni and the role that he’s playing on and off the pitch,’ the 48-year-old said last month.
“There is no doubt about that. It’s true that nobody is bigger than the club and this is a team effort and a strong club.
“It’s not only about Toni and I mean that in the best way because we know what he’s doing and we’re fully aware of it. In the end, we need a bit of patience. I have no update right now.”
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