Cesar Azpilicueta is set to leave Chelsea after over a decade with the club, signing for Atletico Madrid on a free transfer.
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The versatile defender who turns 34 in August is leaving Stamford Bridge after making 508 appearances for the Blues, winning two Premier League titles, the Champions League, two Europa Leagues, the FA Cup and League Cup.
The Spain international still has a year left on his contract in west London, but the club have chosen not to stand in his way as he finds a new club and allow him to leave on a free.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that the contract will be signed and move confirmed on Thursday as he becomes an Atletico Madrid player.
It will be the first time Azpilicueta has been a La Liga player since 2010 when he left Osasuna for Marseille.
After two seasons in France, Chelsea signed him for a fee of around £7m which has proved to be one of the greatest bargains in Premier League history.
While no fee is being received for Azpilicueta, he is part of a huge clear-out at Chelsea as they look to balance the books to some extent.
Already leaving Stamford Bridge this summer have been Mason Mount, Kalidou Koulibaly, Mateo Kovacic, Edouard Mendy, Kai Havertz, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Edouard Mendy and N’Golo Kante.
There are going to be more to follow, with the likes of Christian Pulisic, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Hakim Ziyech and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang all very unlikely to be at the club when the season starts.
MORE : Chelsea’s final contract offer to Mason Mount and why it was rejected
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