Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has admitted he is 'a little bit' annoyed with Barcelona over their unrelenting pursuit of club captain Cesar Azpilicueta.
The defender is in the final year of his contract at Stamford Bridge and wants to seal a return to his homeland this summer with Barca keen to sign him, but Tuchel isn't playing ball.
Tuchel insists Chelsea will not let Azpilicueta join Barcelona if it's not right for the club
An automatic one-year extension was triggered in Azpilicueta's contract at the end of last season, but it has been widely reported he has asked to leave the club this summer.
Barca have already signed Andreas Christensen on a free transfer after his Blues contract expired, and the Catalan giants were hoping to get Azpilicueta on a cut-price deal too.
Chelsea have been busy in the transfer market to replace their departing defenders after Antonio Rudiger also joined Real Madrid, with Kalidou Koulibaly brought in from Napoli and a deal close to sign Jules Kounde from Sevilla.
But Tuchel doesn't want to lose another of his key players at the back, especially one as important to the club as skipper Azpilicueta, who has collected nine major trophies with the Blues, including two Premier League titles, one Champions League and two Europa League triumphs.
And the boss has admitted he doesn't want to give the Spaniard 'what he wants' if it is not right for the club and his team, claiming Barcelona have undervalued the player.
During a trip to Universal Studios in Orlando on Chelsea's pre-season tour of the United States, when asked if he was annoyed by Barca's Azpilicueta chase, Tuchel replied: "Maybe a little bit."
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Tuchel has made his stance on Azpilicueta's future clear
Azpilicueta has reportedly asked to leave Chelsea this summer as he eyes a move back to Spain
Asked about the Spaniard's future, Tuchel said: "It's a tough question because I am not sure if I want to give Azpi what he wants.
"At some point it is about what we want. I just made the comparison about how much we fought for Koulibaly, who is a national team player and roughly the same age. He is a hugely important player for Napoli but we have a Spanish international who is the captain at Chelsea.
"I see him maybe at the same level but Barcelona don't see him on that level. So I am not sure if I want to give him what he wants as he is a huge player.
"We don't think so much about other clubs. The focus is on us and what we need.
Azpilicueta has been a loyal servant to Chelsea but perhaps risks his reputation at the club if he tried to force a move to Barcelona
"I said that to him and I say it to you that I understand on a personal and a career level. But I am not only in this role to give him what he wants. I am a manager for Chelsea who wants to do what's best for Chelsea.
"He doesn't like it, but he understands. It is tough for him because the other club is permanently on him. On September 1 when things calm down, then he can play on his highest level."
He added in an interview with Sky Sports News: "I understand his wish, his concerns, his thoughts about his career and his personal life, but he is also our captain, a huge captain and a legend and a winner.
"And I don't see many reasons as my role as manager to give up on all these strengths that he has."
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