Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel has claimed there is a 'high probability' that captain Cesar Azpilicueta will stay at the club after an extension was triggered in his contract.
The defender has made enough appearances this season to activate a one-year clause in his deal, which was previously due to expire this summer.
That does not necessarily mean the 32-year-old is certain to remain at Stamford Bridge, though. Azpilicueta is a target for Barcelona, who have offered him a longer and more lucrative contract.
The Spain international would like Chelsea to match that two-year proposal - which has the option for a third - and would happily remain at Stamford Bridge until 2024, 90min understands. However, the club are reluctant to break their policy of one-year rolling contracts for players over 30.
As was the case with Olivier Giroud last year, Chelsea are still unlikely to stand in their skipper's way if they were to receive a nominal fee for Azpilicueta after his decade of service, despite the extra year being triggered.
But, asked about his captain's future ahead of hosting Brentford in the Premier League on Saturday, Tuchel was confident that the veteran would remain at Stamford Bridge.
“I knew it was going to happen because I knew the amount of games before it was going to happen," the German said of the extension.
"It was so close. It’s a good thing, we were aware of it. It’s good news for us. We have a contract, he’s our captain, it’s a very high probability he will stay.”
He added: “I knew all the time that this is very likely to happen because he is a regular starter with us. I knew the number of games we needed to make him stay, to ensure his contract continued or extended.
"That’s why I am very happy. You know how much I rely on him and how much impact he has in this group and this club. It’s very good news for us.”
Tuchel was also asked about Antonio Rudiger's future after his agents were spotted holding a meeting with representatives from Barcelona in the Catalan city earlier this week.
"If it’s true, of course. I would try to meet him if I was at any other club. He’s still our player and we still think there’s a good chance he stays our player once things are solved," he said.
"This situation is the situation at the moment, our hands are tied. We cannot speak or negotiate with him and his agent. Fair enough if it’s true that he listens to other offers. That’s the way things go but I am still confident.”
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Source : 90min