Law. at 09:42
IT IS
Azpilicueta’s renewal with Chelsea leaves the Blaugrana coach without one of his demands
Dest and Araujo stand as the clear candidates, although Sergi Roberto and Kounde could also occupy the lane
Unexpected turn of events. Chelsea announced on Thursday afternoon the renewal of César Azpilicueta for two more seasons. The defender had confirmed his arrival at Camp Nou, but he couldn’t wait any longer to resolve his future. The supplement that the “blue” team imposed to sell the player when he only had one year left on his contract was the trigger.
Faced with this paradigm shift, the debate has opened in the sports management on the need to integrate a new replacement to occupy the right side. Borussia Dortmund’s Thomas Meunier is one of the Blaugrana club’s most compelling alternatives. However, there are several options within the current squad who could also play in the right lane.
The most obvious of all is that of Sergiño Dest. The American faces his third season with a lot to prove, but as the only natural right-back in the whole team. His future, despite Azpilicueta’s refusal to wear a Blaugrana, is still up in the air and an exit isn’t ruled out if a good offer comes his way.
Ronald Araujo could also play on the right side of the team. Last season he performed very well in this positionhighlighting his performance in the classic against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu. In the Uruguayan team, he seems to have taken over the lane from the rightleaving the central axis behind Godín and Giménez.
There is also the option of Sergi Roberto, for whom Azpilicueta’s ‘no’ paves the way to be able to have more minutes as a Blaugrana. Xavi’s express request for the club to give the green light to his renewal, it is very difficult to play in the engine room due to the fierce competition between the troops. However, he might get more minutes as a team due to the lack of troops. Injuries and his performances will dictate his role in this new course.
Finally, there is also the wild card of Jules Kounde. The Frenchman landed in the Catalan capital a few days ago, coming from Seville. His natural position is central, being one of the best in his position. However, last season, we could already see him occupying the right lane with the Sevilla team. Both in the league and in the Champions League and the Europa League. Also with the France team in the European Championship and in the qualifying matches for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. However, and as with Araujo, Xavi prefers the two to occupy the central position.