Barcelona are considering a move for Chelsea’s Danish centre-back Andreas Christensen. According to recent reports, the Catalans are looking for defensive reinforcements when the transfer window opens in January and are monitoring the defender’s progress at Stamford Bridge. The Danish international returned from his loan move in Germany last summer and has replaced David Luiz in Antonio Conte’s Chelsea first-team since then. The 21-year-old is seen as one of the brightest young talents in Europe and has impressed with his performances for the London club this season which has caught the attention of Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde.
The Catalans are believed to be long-term admirers of the Danish international and have monitored his progress ever since he stepped into the Chelsea team to fill David Luiz’s shoes. Christensen has two and a half years remaining on his current contract and the Blues are desperately trying to tie him up on a new long-term deal to fend off interest from any potential suitors.
The Danish defender joined the Londoners from Brondby IF on a free transfer in 2013 and has gone on to earn 14 international caps for Denmark so far. Nowadays, he is one of the first names in manager Antonio Conte’s teamsheet which shows how far he has come at Stamford Bridge.
Christensen has regularly featured in the Chelsea first-team this season and has made 21 appearances so far. He is one of the main reasons why Chelsea are currently sitting in second place in the Premier League standings with the second best defensive record in the league, conceding only 14 goals in 21 matches. And Conte will be hoping that he can continue his good form going into the second half of the campaign as the London club looks to cope with the pressures of performing in four different competitions.
Barcelona has also made an impressive start to their domestic campaign and are currently leading the La Liga by 9 points at the top of the league standings. The Catalans can boast the best defence in Spain which has only conceded 7 goals in 17 league matches. However, they have recently lost Samuel Umtiti to injury and the future of Javier Mascherano at the Nou Camp looks uncertain. Hence, it is understandable why manager Ernesto Valverde is looking to bring a new defensive option in the near future.
It remains to be seen whether Barca are successful in their attempts to lure Christensen to the Nou Camp but the Blues of London are in no position to lose their prized asset who has the potential to command their defence for years to come.
