Barcelona's Chelsea "hunter" strategy goes far beyond this, the Camp Nou senior research on Chelsea can be said to be tireless, they locked a number of Blues players, the most notable is the veteran right back Cesar Aspilicueta.
After the 32-year-old Spanish-born lost his place at right-back, Cobham academy prodigy Reece James has bravely filled the void and the rise of his fellow student Trevor Chalobah has left the veteran captain lost in the middle of the park. With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, Barcelona are waiting in the wings to launch a raid.
They also covet Antonio Rüdiger, who is about to become a free agent, but the general opinion is that Barcelona's chances are slim as signing the German star would require a huge investment. Now Rüdiger's future is uncertain, with his own interest in staying and Tuchel actively operating, but Chelsea's management are not budging on the issue of salary. With all signs pointing to a seemingly inevitable end as the deadlock over Rüdiger's new contract negotiations continues, the possibility of Chelsea losing Rüdiger to Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain, who are secretly coveted by both clubs, has become increasingly likely.
