Catalan club Barcelona are said to be interested in signing Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen. The player whose contract with the Premier League club will expire in the summer of 2022 is wanted by a host of clubs including the La Liga side.

A rumour from Fichajes claims that Barcelona is considering a free transfer raid for Chelsea’s Danish defender Andreas Christensen, who is approaching the conclusion of his contract with the reigning European champions.

Christensen joined Chelsea’s junior team in 2012. That was after previously playing for Danish club Brondby. After rising through the ranks at Chelsea, the centre-back spent two seasons on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach between 2015 and 2017. Here, he was a huge success. He pushed the club to give him his first taste of first-team play at Stamford Bridge.

Despite being in and out of the Chelsea squad at various points throughout the course of the season, the 25-year-old has generally maintained his place in the team since then. Christensen has made 135 appearances for Chelsea. He has contributed to one goal. Also, he has helped the club win the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League along the way.

Barcelona, on the other hand, has not shied away from expressing an interest in him as they seek for cost-effective alternatives to strengthen their defence

Christensen has been a regular at the back for Chelsea under Thomas Tuchel. He has started five of the Blues’ seven Premier League games so far this season. His contract status, on the other hand, has sparked a great deal of curiosity. That is since his present agreement expires at the conclusion of the season. The defender has said that negotiations over a new contract are progressing well.

Barcelona, on the other hand, has not shied away from expressing an interest in him. That is as they seek for cost-effective alternatives to strengthen their defence. Indeed, after being linked with a free-transfer raid for Christensen’s Chelsea colleagues Cesar Azpilicueta and Antonio Rudiger, the Catalan giants have now turned their attention to the Danish international as a potential addition.

Christensen has already stated that negotiations over a new contract are progressing well with the Blues as of now

Due to the fact that Gerard Pique is nearing the end of his playing career, Barcelona will need a long-term successor for the former Spanish international. As a result of this, both Samuel Umtiti and his compatriot Clement Lenglet have fallen out of favour with manager Ronald Koeman. They are likely to be taken advantage of whenever the chance presents itself.

The Blaugrana must add a new centre-back to their squad next summer. That is in order to complement the trio of Ronald Araujo, Eric Garcia and Oscar Mingueza. They are already on the roster. The age, experience, and contractual status of Christensen make him a perfect target for Barcelona. The club has shown serious interest in signing the Chelsea player.

However, as previously said, Christensen has already stated that negotiations over a new contract are progressing well. This suggests that Barcelona may not be able to sign him as a free agent next summer. Chelsea will want to wrap up talks quickly. Let’s wait and watch how things go now.