3 exciting young talents Chelsea could sign to replace Cesar Azpilicueta should he join Real Madrid
Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta is reportedly the subject of transfer interest from Real Madrid, as seen in Sports Illustrated.
The 33-year-old Spaniard has been at Chelsea since 2012, making him one of the club's most loyal and longest-serving players.
Azpilicueta was reportedly linked with a move to Barcelona throughout the 2022 summer transfer window. He, however, made a U-turn and signed a two-year contract extension with the Blues.
Should Real Madrid succeed in acquiring the experienced defender, it could force Chelsea into looking for a suitable replacement for the Spaniard.
As such, this article will take a look at three options available to the Blues in the transfer market to replace their captain.
#3 Malo Gusto - Lyon
One player Chelsea should consider in terms of replacing club captain Azpilicueta is Lyon's teenage sensation Malo Gusto.
The 19-year-old footballer is currently one of the most promising young full-backs in Europe. He burst onto the scene with Lyon in 2021 and has been on the rise ever since.
Gusto would be the ideal long-term option to replace Azpilicueta at Chelsea should the latter leave for Real Madrid. The 19-year-old could also provide adequate competition for Reece James at right-back.
Les samedi soirs qu’on aime bien 😂
En équipe toujours 🦁
#TeamOL https://t.co/xDWBUL51jf
#2 Jeremie Frimpong - Bayer Leverkusen
Another exciting young talent in Europe is Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremy Frimpong.
The 21-year-old right-back began his youth career with Premier League side Manchester City, where he spent nine years, before moving to Celtic in 2019.
Now at Leverkusen, the exciting Dutch defender is known for his excellent attacking attributes.
, #Werkself supporters!
Very good run of results before the break. See you in 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣3️⃣, #Werkself supporters! https://t.co/jvYiJn6zmN
Frimpong is fast, skillful, and has the ability to take on opposing players. He also possesses decent ball-playing abilities that often see him make defense-splitting passes and goal-bound crosses.
Prior to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Frimpong scored a total of five goals and registered four assists for Bayer Leverkusen.
#1 Tino Livramento - Southampton
The Blues could also exercise the option of bringing back their former academy graduate, Tino Livramento, as a possible replacement for Azpilicueta.
The 20-year-old English right-back had been with Chelsea since 2009 before making a move to Southampton in the summer of 2021.
Our number 2️⃣1️⃣ 😇
What's your favourite @tino_livramento memory so far, #SaintsFC fans? https://t.co/jKoEzvOyG3
Livramento is highly rated at Stamford Bridge and the Blues even inserted a buy-back clause in his contract at Southampton.
As such, the West London club can re-sign their former academy player for a fee in the region of £38 million. The buy-back clause will become active in 2023, meaning that a January transfer for Livramento is possible.