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Chelsea stumbled to a 1-1 draw against Leicester City at Stamford Bridge on Thursday in the Premier League. Marcos Alonso helped the Blues secure a point after James Maddison had given the visitors an early lead.
Meanwhile, manager Thomas Tuchel wants Cesar Azpilicueta to extend his stay at Stamford Bridge. Elsewhere, the London giants are monitoring an Atletico Madrid full-back.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on 20 May 2022:
Thomas Tuchel wants Cesar Azpilicueta to stay
Thomas Tuchel has said that he would like Cesar Azpilicueta to extend his stay at the club. The Spanish defender has been linked with a move away from Chelsea this summer. His contract was set to expire at the end of the season before a one-year extension was automatically triggered.
Speaking recently, Tuchel said that the Blues are in talks with the player to find a solution:
"We had a lot of these talks because I think it felt like he won everything after the Club World Cup, so I can understand these thoughts, that maybe a cycle is at its end. Then there’s also a change of ownership, and he played only under this owner, so maybe it increased his second thoughts about his situation," said Tuchel.
He added:
"His extension kicked in at the same time, and he loves the club; he loves the challenge, and he loves to be here. He is our captain; we are still in dialogue, and at some point we are also selfish because we are not responsible to solve any other club’s problems or to fulfil any other club’s wishes."
Tuchel added that Chelsea are sceptical of losing Azpilicueta due to the impending departures from their backline this summer. He said:
"Given the fact that we lose key defenders already, it’s not the ideal scenario to think about losing Azpi, even though I can understand his personal point of view."
He added:
"At some point, if you are a legend which he is, you deserve from me and the club a second look at it, to see if there’s maybe an exception from the rule, and we are still in this process. I would hope strongly (that he stays), and he knows this, but we are still in the talks to find out the ideal solution."
Tuchel is set to lose Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen - two key players in his defence - this summer. That explains why he doesn't want to lose Azpilicueta - who has made 45 appearances across competitions this season - as well.
Chelsea monitoring Renan Lodi
Chelsea are keeping a close eye on Renan Lodi, according to The Hard Tackle via Fichajes. The Brazilian left-back has performed admirably for Atletico Madrid, scoring four goals in 42 appearances this campaign. However, Atletico manager Diego Simeone could let him leave to raise funds for the summer.
The Blues are looking for reinforcements in the left-back position. Marcos Alonso's imminent departure could leave very little cover in the squad for the injury-prone Ben Chilwell. Tuchel wants to address the situation by roping in the 24-year-old Lodi.
Blues interested in Alessio Romagnoli
Chelsea are interested in Alessio Romagnoli, according to The Hard Tackle via Mundo Deportivo.
The Italian defender has been a rock at the back for AC Milan this season. The 27-year-old has played a key role in helping his club come within touching distance of their first Serie A title in 11 years. However, his current contract expires at the end of the season, and he's likely to leave the San Siro on a Bosman move.
Barcelona and Bayern Munich are monitoring him with interest, and now the Blues have joined the fray. Tuchel is eager to bring in a new centre-back to take the place of the outgoing Antonio Rudiger.
Romagnoli has appeared almost 250 times for the Rossoneri and could be a solid replacement for the German. Bayern Munich and Sevilla are also interested in his services, though.
