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What's the story?
Chelsea could lose one of their star players this month as a Barcelona continue their hunt for a centre-back. According to the Daily Star, the La Liga giants are interested in Chelsea's youngster - Andreas Christensen and are hoping to secure the Danish international in the winter transfer window.
Antonio Conte has been full of praises for the defender and has even labelled him as a future captain! "Every time I have decided to give Christensen the opportunity to play, he has given an amazing performance and convinced me he has to play regularly," said the Chelsea boss earlier last month.
In case you didn't know...
The defender joined Chelsea from Brondby in 2013 and made his Premier League debut in 2015. The Danish defender spent the last two seasons on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach before becoming a starter for the Blues.
The 21-year-old still has 2.5 years of contract left at the Stamford Bridge and it is believed that Chelsea is close to securing a new deal with the Danish international.
The heart of the matter
Ever since David Luiz fell out with Conte, Christensen has taken up the responsibility of filling that position and has not failed to impress in any of those matches. The youngster made 9 successive league games for the Blues before sitting out due to illness.
The defender has done wonders this season and his form has not gone unnoticed. Barcelona have been a long-term admirer and have been keeping tabs on the player ever since he replaced Luiz at Stamford Bridge.
Ernesto Valverde has made his priority to land a world class defender as they prepare to bid adieu to Javier Mascherano who is set to move to China this month. Valverde has now identified Christensen as an ideal replacement and would do everything possible to make this deal go through.
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Author's take
Conte is not going to let Christensen leave after he has become a regular starter for the Blues and a fan favourite as well. He also made it clear that the defender could be a future captain for the Blues and has always been impressed by his performance.
Barcelona are going to find it very tough in their pursuit of the Danish international. With Luiz falling out with Conte, Christensen is the no 1 choice for the Italian. Valverde should probably look elsewhere for a centre-back.
