Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta is reportedly determined to stay at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues defender will soon enter the final six months of his current deal at the Premier League club.
This means Azpilicueta will soon be able to negotiate a pre-contract agreement abroad.
Barcelona are reportedly eyeing the Chelsea star amid his contractual stand-off.
New Barca boss Xavi apparently eager to land the experienced Spain international.
However, The Athletic claim Azpilicueta’s priority is to instead extend his stay at Chelsea.
The 32-year-old wants to continue to fight for his place in Thomas Tuchel’s side.
Azpilicueta has been with Chelsea since 2012 and is closing in on 450 competitive Blues appearances.
However, the £150,000-a-week star is not currently a regular starter for the Stamford Bridge outfit.
The emergence of academy graduate Trevoh Chalobah and Reece James’ fine form have meant the Chelsea captain has had to make do with time on the bench.
Azpilicueta even went six weeks without a Premier League start after their 1-0 win away at Brentford in October.
The former Marseille man is weighing up his options, but his preference is to stay at Chelsea, claimed The Athletic.
That said, Azpilicueta reportedly wants a new contract longer than 12 months.
Chelsea tend to offer 12-month extensions to players in their 30s, so this could perhaps prove a stumbling block.
Azpilicueta has won two Premier League titles, one Champions League, two Europa Leagues, one FA Cup and one League Cup since joining nine-and-a-half years ago.
