As things begin to change about the club heading into next season, Cesar Azpilicueta should know he will always have a place at Chelsea if he wants one.
Chelsea is on the cusp of a new era. The youth revolution has been in full swing this season but it is soon to be supplemented by a spate of incoming and outgoing transfers. The Chelsea squad will soon look much different than it did even just two summers ago.
Some players will need to remain as a connection to those times of old though. And there is perhaps no better player to carry on from era to era than the captain himself: Cesar Azpilicueta.
Much has been said about Azpilicueta, his place in the modern game, and subsequently his place in the Chelsea squad. But no matter what form the squad takes in the coming years, the captain will have a spot for as long as he wants one.
His versatility is obviously a huge plus for Frank Lampard. The manager has shown a propensity to change from 3-4-3 to 4-3-3 (and its variants) and back almost game to game without warning. Nearly every transfer target the Blues have been linked to is capable of playing at least two positions comfortably. So Azpilicueta being able to play left back, right back, and center back is a steal.
There are concerns among the “play football in the ‘right’ way” crowd about Azpilicueta’s ability in the modern game. After all, a full back should be able to overlap and whip crosses into the box or attack the goal themselves right? Azpilicueta is certainly not the most attacking of full backs and playing in a back three does suit him, but he is hardly incapable of performing the role. Between last season and this season, Azpilicueta has very much shown he can whip out the whole “modern fullback” card when required.
Reece James is coming up in the squad but there does remain a place for both. James is still very young and often plays like his age despite his skill. That has seen Azpilicueta return to the starting XI over James. Furthermore, Azpilicueta has had to step in at left back when both Emerson and Marcos Alonso have proved to be less than ideal. Azpilicueta is the near constant rock at the back regardless.
But even if Azpilicueta was not starting, he is hardly the type of player to kick up a fuss about it. He would remain a perfect professional role model off the pitch as he would merely get his head down and go about his work. He could be a bench player for three solid years, ask for a two year extension, and probably still get it if he wanted it. Azpilicueta is simply that valuable on and off the pitch.
At 30, Azpilicueta is entering the down slop of his career. But so long as he wants a place with the Blues, he has one. His leadership on and off the pitch is invaluable and his playing skills are still sharp. His versatility will find him a place for Lampard or any other manager that uses him before the end of his career. And if he wants to go into coaching afterwards, Chelsea will surely create a pathway for him. This club is his club.