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Thomas Tuchel wants his four senior defenders in the last year of their current contracts to sign new deals at the club.
As things stand, Chelsea will lose the combined services of Antonio Rüdiger, Andreas Christensen, Thiago Silva and club captain Cesar Azpilicueta at the end of the season.
Rüdiger has been linked with a host of clubs, both in the Premier League and across Europe, whilst Barcelona want to sign both Christensen and Azpilicueta on free transfers.
It is hoped that veteran Silva will be prepared to stay for another year, and there are hopes that Azpilicueta can also be persuaded to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge.
The other two are more problematic. Christensen seemed on the verge of agreeing a new deal two months ago, but then talks stalled. As for Rüdiger he has previously described the new terms he has been offered as insulting and he knows that, if he leaves for free, he can expect a large signing-on fee from any new employer.
Andy is an exiled English football fan living in Cyprus. He loves all sports but football is his abiding passion, and he still has dreams every now and then about scoring the winning goal in a Wembley Cup Final, even though his playing days are long gone. He follows most major leagues, across Europe at least, and has a favoured team in each. When he’s not watching, listening, reading or downloading podcasts about football, he spend his time worrying about his beloved Arsenal.