Andreas Christensen has rejected series of Chelsea’s offers of new contracts with Barcelona favourites to secure his signature on a free transfer.
The rumours of an exit began last summer with the club wanting an extension reached back then already. Despite the Blues maintaining their confidence he will sign a new deal with the club, they were ‘stunned’ by Christensen’s contract demands as the Dane wanted to sign a three-year deal at the club rather than the five-year deal that was offered.
Christensen, who missed Chelsea’s League Cup final through injury, was seen to undergo his medicals on the following day(Monday) after Barcelona’s representatives came to London as reported by Gerard Romero (via Barca Times), with Chelsea clearly unhappy about how he handles the situation, having backed out on no fewer than two agreements over an extension at Chelsea earlier this season.
‘Clarity is always better than uncertainty,’ said Tuchel.
Ahead of Chelsea’s Premier League clash against Norwich on Thursday night, Thomas Tuchel confessed that he is not happy with the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the future of centre-back Andreas Christensen.
“It’s in doubt, no? We hear the rumours and the situation with Andreas has been clear for many weeks. We are not happy about it.
“For me personally, and the club representatives, we think that it is best for him to stay. We rely heavily on him. He did not sign yet, so you can’t not communicate. The communication from his side is that he hasn’t signed, so we have to consider the possibility that he leaves us.
“Do we like it? No. Will we live with it? Yes. Things are not personal, they never should be personal. This can happen.”
Nevertheless, Tuchel is still urging the Danish defender to stay as Tuchel believes Andreas Christensen will be making a mistake if he leaves Chelsea on a free this summer and says his players can “fulfil any dream” by staying at the club.
” You can fulfill your dreams here” Thomas Tuchel to Christensen.
” There is no need to go now because he is right at the edge to finally take the next one, two, three steps at Chelsea,” the manager said.
“I don’t think he is done here, that is why I strongly recommended him not to go before it is done. And it is clearly not done.”
Christensen joined Chelsea’s academy from Brondby, 10 years ago where he learnt his trades.
He now has a situation given the formation, given the partners at his side, given his status, given his age: this is his moment. And I cannot understand if he leaves exactly at this moment.”
“For Andreas we have unbelievably much to offer. It is the club where he came through the academy and I think he has a lot, also, to appreciate where he is right now. He profited a lot from the support, the structure. Now is the crucial moment to step up and be a huge player with this history.”
Tuchel believes Andrea will find no better home than at Stamford Bridge with the world and European champions.
“I don’t see an upgrade in any other club. Of course if you want to have the challenge of a new league and maybe also in money there are some possibilities always available if you’re a top, top player. But you can fulfil any dream here: I think we should not hide from that and we should not be too humble in that.”
If he decides otherwise I will not take it personally and it’s — in the end — not important if I understand it or not.
“But I will treat him as my player until the very last day, if he behaves how he has behaved.”
Christensen joined Chelsea’s academy from Brondby, 10 years ago, and, although it has taken him time to become established he is learning his craft alongside defensive icons such as Thiago Silva and Thomas Rudiger.
Chelsea travel to the Premier League’s bottom club, Norwich, who they beat 7-0 in October, on Thursday Thursday night as they seek to hold the Premier League “third” spot.