Chelsea star unwilling to leave club, wants to impress new boss Mauricio Pochettino - Reports

According to the Evening Standard, Marc Cucurella is unwilling to leave Chelsea as he wants to impress new manager Mauricio Pochettino.

The Spaniard joined the Reds a year ago. He has since made 33 appearances for the club. The 24-year-old, however, hasn't been very reliable.

Given Pochettino's reputation for growing young players, he might look to use the likes of Lewis Hall in place of Cucurella. Hence, the Spaniard could suffer from a lack of game time.

Cucurella, however, is reportedly willing to take up the challenge and wants to fight for his place.

The Argentine took over at Chelsea following a dismal 2022-23 campaign, with the Blues finishing 12th. Pochettino, formerly of Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain, has been brought in to steady the ship and to give the young squad some much-needed direction.

Cesar Azpilicueta has left Chelsea

Cesar Azpilicueta has left the Stamford Bridge club, calling time on his glittering spell as a Blue. The Spaniard has decided to join La Liga giants Atletico Madrid.

A long-serving member of the club, Azpilicueta made 508 appearances for the Blues. The 33-year-old was one of the key players for the team over the years. Hence, his departure leaves a big void in the team.

Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali came up with a joint statement after Azpilicueta's departure. They said (via GOAL):

"Cesar leaves an everlasting mark at Chelsea, as a warrior, as a champion, and as loyal Chelsea legend. He has set the standards at the club for more than a decade and demonstrated to everyone what is required day in, day out to achieve success."

The statement further read:

"Coaches and teammates past and present have trusted him to lead by example as captain. He has done so immaculately on and off the pitch, something for which we are grateful. For that and so much more, Cesar will always be welcomed back at Stamford Bridge."

Azpilicueta is a veteran in European and international football. He has also represented Spain 44 times in his career so far.