Barcelona directors Mateu Alemany and Jordi Cruyff were spotted at Stamford Bridge last night during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final contest between Chelsea and Real Madrid.
Their visit was obviously not related to the match that was going on, but instead could have had to do with the three Chelsea stars who are believed to be on the club’s agenda heading into the summer transfer window.
As per the report, Barcelona have their eyes on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, N’Golo Kante, and Cesar Azpilicueta.
Aubameyang is a player that has been heavily linked with a move to Barcelona this summer. The Blaugrana are in the market for a new striker and have made Vitor Roque their priority. But if the Brazilian does not arrive, they have earmarked the Chelsea veteran as a possible short-term alternative.
Aubameyang’s contract with Chelsea expires in 2024. However, Barcelona will only consider signing him at zero cost while offering him a reduced salary as well, which he is said to be willing to accept.
As for Kante, the midfielder has been on Alemany’s agenda for quite some time now, especially given that his contract expires at the end of the season. There had been concerns over his fitness given the lengthy injury absence he had this season.
But, since returning to action this month, Kante has been in solid form, which has seemingly piqued the interest of Barça again. However, Chelsea have already made a lucrative contract offer for the Frenchman to renew him for two more seasons.
Meanwhile, Azpilicueta was close to joining Barcelona last summer, but opted to renew with Chelsea until 2024. However, the club captain has lost prominence in the team this term and could consider a change of scenery, and may provide Barça a stop-gap solution at right-back.
It remains to be seen if there is any serious interest from the club in any of the three players. But, the presence of Alemany and Cruyff at Stamford Bridge is bound to generate a great deal of intrigue.
