"We're losing him" - Thomas Tuchel breaks silence on Barcelona bound 26-year-old Chelsea star

Thomas Tuchel confirms Chelsea defender will leave amid Barcelona transfer links.
Thomas Tuchel confirms Chelsea defender will leave amid Barcelona transfer links.

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has confessed that the club will be losing Andreas Christensen, amid rumors that the defender is set to join Barcelona.

The Denmark international has been at the Blues since 2013. However, with his contract expiring this summer, it appears as though the 26-year-old has played his final game for the club.

Christensen has made 32 Chelsea appearances this season although he has suffered a sharp decline in form in recent weeks. His recent start against Leeds United in the Blues' most recent Premier League game was his first top-flight appearance in six games.

Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that Tuchel has confirmed that the defender will be leaving Stamford Bridge this summer to join Barcelona. Romano also claimed that the deal to bring Christensen to the Camp Nou was agreed to 'weeks ago', with AC Milan midfielder Frank Kessie also moving to Catalonia on a free transfer.

The move represents another blow for the Blues, as Antonio Rudiger is already confirmed to be joining Real Madrid when his current deal expires in June.


Andreas Christensen reportedly refuses to play for Chelsea during FA Cup final defeat to Liverpool

Tuchel's side faced defeat in the FA Cup final on Saturday (May 14) in a near carbon copy of the League Cup final that took place in February. The Blues also lost on penalties to the Reds following an entertaining goalless draw on that occasion.

The result meant Chelsea have now lost three consecutive FA Cup finals. However, reports have since emerged that their defensive options were limited due to the position that Christensen took before the game.

Christensen was a surprise absentee for the Wembley clash. According to The Guardian, the defender made himself unavailable for the game just hours before kickoff.

The 26-year-old was not injured, although he is understood to have told Tuchel that he was not feeling well enough to play despite playing the full 90 minutes against Leeds just three days prior.

The report claims that members of the Chelsea squad were left shocked when the Denmark international left the team hotel. Christensen would almost certainly have been a substitute for the encounter. However, he could have replaced Thiago Silva after the 37-year-old picked up an early injury.

Silva managed to soldier on until the penalty shootout but Tuchel did not mention Christensen's name before or after the defeat to Jurgen Klopp's side on Saturday.

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Edited by Ritwik Kumar