Mauricio Pochettino has stamped his authority as Chelsea boss, allowing club captain Cesar Azpilicueta to leave on a free transfer this summer, despite his contract having a year left to run.
The Spaniard had previously been thought to be staying at Stamford Bridge, with club chairman Todd Boehly blocking a move away for his captain. Barcelona were believed to have been keen on bringing the defender back to his home country last summer, but Boehly vetoing a transfer with the 33-year-old now set to leave for nothing.
Pochettino has arrived at Chelsea, with his first job as boss to form his squad for the upcoming season, with the task of offloading players from a bloated playing staff at Stamford Bridge. Ageing players such as Azpilicueta, Ngolo Kante, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are set to join Kalidou Koulibaly out of the exit door as a new era dawns in West London.
The Sun report that the incoming Blues boss will let the full-back leave for free, despite his contract running until the summer of 2024. Inter Milan are believed to be the main club interested in signing the veteran, with Serie A historically having been a good place for older players to extend their careers.
Last summer, the veteran defender, who has now spent 11 years at the club, revealed a change of heart in his decision to leave the club following an intervention from Boehly.
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"I’m always totally honest and the conversations were there," Azpilicueta told Chelsea's website. "I thought after the Club World Cup, winning this trophy and being the first player at Chelsea to win every single trophy available, that perhaps it was time to go back to Spain, maybe for a new challenge.
"But then everything happened, we had some really good conversations with the manager and the owners. I’m the captain of this club and I wanted to stay committed to Chelsea. The conversations we had will remain private, but we had some really good communications, we said what we thought and then I realised that I wanted to continue to help my club."
Cesar Azpilicueta looks set to leave Chelsea this summer (Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)Last season saw a reduction in playing time for the Spanish international, with just 16 Premier League starts as the Blues finished 12th in the Premier League, their worst league finish since 1993/94. The performances of Reece James, combined with the signing of Malo Gusto as a long-term prospect has left his future role uncertain, meaning that a free transfer is set to be sanctioned.
It's not just the older members of the squad who are set to leave the club, with USA international Christian Pulisic also reported to be nearing the exit door.
Uncertainty remains regarding names such as Romelu Lukaku, Conor Gallagher, Kalidou Koulibaly, Trevoh Chalobah, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Edouard Mendy, who have all been linked with departures as the Blues seek to reconfigure following their unprecedented £600 million spending spree last season.
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