Barcelona may have felt it was time to part ways with veteran right-back Dani Alves, but that doesn’t mean they were fully prepared for it. Amidst interest in many of the Premier League’s best young defenders like Hector Bellerin and John Stones, the Camp Nou outfit have now set their sights on one of Chelsea’s best defenders too.
According to the Evening Standard, Barcelona are targeting Cesar Azpilicueta to fill the vacant roster spot at right back. Barca parted ways with Alves after eight years with the club, a tenure that included six La Liga titles and three Champions League trophies.
The 26-year-old Azpilicueta is a versatile full back who made 48 starts in 49 appearances for Chelsea this past year. He scored two goals and three assists in the Premier League and played the entirety of the club’s ill-fated Champions League campaign.
Per the source, Barcelona have also been targeting Alexandar Hleb, Alex Song, Marc Overmars, Emmanuel Petit and Thomas Vermaelen as possible replacements for Alves.
Follow Jonathan Machlin on Twitter @jtmlovessports
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