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#3 Valentino Livramento
Chelsea fans were left bitterly disappointed when the club's 2020-21 Academy Player of the Year, Valentino Livramento, decided to leave on a permanent transfer. The youngster was sold to Southampton for approximately £5 million and since then he has gone on to become an integral part of the Saints defense.
The 18-year-old has started all the league games for Southampton so far and was even impressive against Chelsea last week, winning a penalty and looking solid in defense.
Livramento, however, did hint that he could return to Chelsea in the future. When asked about a potential return to Stamford Bridge he said:
"Maybe one day, but I'm just enjoying my football at the moment at Southampton, that's where my head's at right now. Just trying to pick up as many points as possible and improving individually."
Chelsea have a buy-back clause inserted into Livramento's contract, which becomes active in 2023. Azpilicueta will be 33 years old by that time and therefore Livramento could be a perfect replacement for the Spaniard.
#2 Jules Kounde
One of the leading transfer sagas during the summer was Jules Kounde's potential move from Sevilla to Chelsea. Although the Blues pushed hard to land the 22-year-old, they were unable to reach an agreement with the Spanish side. Reports state that Sevilla raised their asking price at the last moment which stopped Chelsea from pursuing the deal.
The Frenchman is widely regarded as one of Europe's most promising defenders. He has been a key part of Sevilla's defense in recent years, helping them win the 2019-20 Europa League while also achieving back-to-back fourth placed finishes in La Liga.
Like Azpilicueta, the former Bordeaux man is an extremely versatile defender and can play as a right-back, a centre-back or also as a wing-back. This means that the Frenchman could really dazzle in Tuchel's 3-4-3 system.
It remains to be seen whether Chelsea will make a move for Kounde in January, with his attributes making him an ideal replacement for the club captain.
#1 Reece James
Easily the most likely replacement for Cesar Azpilicueta at Chelsea will be none other than the Blues' very own academy starlet and England international, Reece James.
Breaking into the first-team setup under Frank Lampard, James has become an integral member of the senior squad and has been performing brilliantly for the Blues since then.
The 21-year-old has gone on to make 90 appearances for Chelsea since making his debut in the 2018-19 season, registering four goals and 11 assists during that time. He also played a key part in Chelsea's Champions League win last season under Thomas Tuchel.
Traditionally a right-back or right wing-back, James has also been deployed on the right side of the back three on a couple of occasions and has performed well. His versatility has proven to be quite effective for Tuchel at Chelsea so far.
If James continues to perform like he has done so far, Chelsea don't need to look elsewhere to find a long-term replacement for Azpilicueta.
