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Barcelona were keen on signing Cesar Azpiliceuta from Chelsea, along with Andreas Christensen and Marcos Alonso. However, they only managed to get the latter duo, while the club captain ended up signing a new deal at Stamford Bridge.
Azpilicueta has now revealed that he spoke to Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez regarding his decision and admitted that the new owners at Chelsea changed his mind. He claimed that he was won over by their desire to keep him at the club and thus penned a new deal.
Speaking to the media ahead of Spain's Round of 16 clash at the FIFA World Cup, Azpiliceuta confirmed he spoke to Barcelona manager Xavi. he said:
"At Chelsea I played less than 30 games and I was already a free agent. It had never happened to me in my life. The new owners arrived and they showed me the desire to stay for me. When I made the decision, I think Xavi understood it. If things are clear, they are understood."
Chelsea club captain on rejecting Barcelona in the summer
Cesar Azpilicueta spoke about rejecting Barcelona earlier in the year too and admitted that he was a free agent for a while. He went on to claim that he was calm about his future and did not want it to distract his teammates.
He said:
"We had private conversations where I said everything. We had players leaving and I have never been in a transfer market situation in 10 years. It was different. For a period I was a free agent and who knows what could have happened in that period. I decided to stay silent because I think there was already enough noise around me. I didn't want to make it worse because I wanted to stay focused on my game."
He added:
"I had a meeting with the new owners. They wanted me to stay here to lead the team both on and off the pitch. It's a big thank you to them. They were very honest and transparent from the first day. I felt a responsibility to stay here in my home. My family are happy here. We have a new project with new players and youngsters coming in. I feel right and ready to look forward."
Cesar Azpilicueta signed a new two-year deal at Chelsea right before the season kicked off, committing himself to the club until 2024.
