"Barcelona don’t see him on that level" - Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel urges defender to reject move to Camp Nou

Thomas Tuchel has admitted he is annoyed at Barcelona's approach to sign Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta. The manager claims the Catalan side do not see him as an important player and only view him as a backup player.

Barca have been trying to sign Azpiliceuta for some time and were confident of getting him on a free transfer this summer. However, a clause in his contract saw the club captain's deal at Stamford Bridge get extended by another season, leaving the Catalan side stuck in negotiations.

As per Barca Universal, the Blues have demanded £7 million for their club captain. The 32-year-old has agreed personal terms with the Catalans and is ready to sign a two-year contract with them.

Tuchel was speaking to the media in Florida on Friday evening when he was quizzed about the La Liga side's approach to signing Azpilicueta. The manager admitted that he was annoyed and was quoted by Metro saying:

"Maybe a little bit. It's a tough question because I am not sure if I want to give Azpi what he wants. At some point it is about what we want. I just made the comparison about how much we fought for [Kalidou] Koulibaly, who is a national team player and roughly the same age.

He is a hugely important player for Napoli but we have a Spanish international who is the captain at Chelsea. I see him maybe at the same level but Barcelona don't see him on that level."

He added:

"So I am not sure if I want to give him what he wants as he is a huge player. We don't think so much about other clubs. The focus is on us and what we need. I said that to him and I say it to you that I understand on a personal and a career level.

But I am not only in this role to give him what he wants. I am a manager for Chelsea who wants to do what's best for Chelsea. He doesn't like it but he understands. It is tough for him because the other club is permanently on him."

Barcelona target Azpilicueta has won it all at Chelsea

Azpilicueta joined Chelsea in 2012 and has won all the trophies the club has competed for in the last ten years.

His time at Stamford Bridge has seen him lift the Champions League, Europa League, Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup.

The 32-year-old has made 474 appearances for the Blues, scoring 17 goals and registering 55 assists across all competitions.

He is reportedly keen on a change now and is open to a move to Barcelona. However, the Blues are yet to sanction the move as they are waiting to sign his replacement.

According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the west London club are working out a deal worth £55 million with Sevilla for French defender Jules Kounde.