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Barcelona will reportedly have to sell defender Andreas Christensen to afford a move for Lionel Messi. The Danish star joined on a free transfer last summer and has been in splendid form this season.
As per a report in El Nacional, Christensen is one of the names Xavi will have to sacrifice this summer. The manager is aware that the club will need to sell a few players to get in line with La Liga rules and wage limits.
The club see Jules Kounde and Ronald Araujo as their top centre-backs for the future and are thus ready to let go of Christensen. The 27-year-old joined on a free transfer last summer after running down his contract at Chelsea.
The main reason for a possible sale of Christensen is the need to bring in Lionel Messi. The PSG star can only be signed if the club raise funds by selling a few players, and reports suggest the Danish star can fetch €60 million.
Barcelona star on his decision to leave Chelsea
Andreas Christensen admitted that leaving Chelsea for Barcelona was a tough decision to make. He was at the Premier League club for almost 10 years and was a vital part of the starting XI in the last few seasons.
The Barcelona star released a statement in the summer that read:
"I had a tough decision to make at the age of 16 to leave Denmark. I met many different clubs but there was only ever one choice for me and that was Chelsea. From the moment I arrived they made me feel at home, I'm grateful to Jim Fraser and Neil Bath who immediately embraced me as part of their family. Some of my proudest moments at the club were when we won FA Youth Cup and UEFA Youth League.Those were a special group of young players that I was proud to have as teammates."
He added:
"I was fortunate to play under some fantastic managers including [Antonio] Conte, [Jose] Mourinho and now Thomas Tuchel. Last year was my proudest achievement as a player when we lifted the Champions League in Porto. I was a young boy at Chelsea with all the hopes and fears of a player starting his career, I'm grateful to the whole club for making my dream come true. Having spent ten amazing years at this club, I felt now was the right time for a new beginning for me and my family."
Chelsea have signed Kalidou Koulibaly, Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile, thus a return to Stamford Bridge looks unlikely for Christensen should he be forced to leave Barcelona.
