Barcelona announce Andreas Christensen arrival on free transfer from Chelsea after financial delay
© Chelsea FC via Getty Images Andreas Christensen Barcelona have confirmed Andreas Christensen’s arrival after the Denmark defender left Chelsea. The centre-back, 26, signs for the LaLiga giants following the expiration of his contract at Stamford Bridge and he joins Franck Kessie in being announced by the club on Monday. Christensen’s move to Barcelona has been an open secret for some time but was finally confirmed after delays because the Blaugrana are not yet able to register them in their LaLiga squad for the new season. Reports in Spain claim the club were making last-minute adjustments to both players’ contracts to ensure they were permitted inside Financial Fair Play parameters, amid Barcelona’s financial woe. Christensen has signed a four-year deal featuring a release clause of £430million. Barcelona will present the former Chelsea player to the media on Thursday, after Kessie’s press conference on Wednesday to herald his own four-year deal including the same release clause fee. Last month, Christensen bid farewell to the Blues after a decade in west London. He said: “I was a young boy at Chelsea with all the hopes and fears of a player starting his career, I’m grateful to the whole club for making my dream come true. “Having spent ten amazing years at this club, I felt now was the right time for a new beginning for me and my family. Mentally the last few months have been tough as it’s not been an easy decision to leave this club and the fans. “I’m not the most talkative person so sometimes people don’t understand how much the club and the fans mean to me. I will miss the players, staff and everyone here. I wish the best for the club and the fans in the future.” Register now for one of the Evening Standard’s newsletters. From a daily news briefing to Homes & Property insights, plus lifestyle, going out, offers and more. For the best stories in your inbox, click here.
Official: Barcelona announce the signing of Andreas Christensen on a free transfer
Barcelona have announced their second major signing ahead of the new season, in the form of Andreas Christensen. The Chelsea defender’s arrival at Camp Nou had been an open secret for a while now, with the player penning personal terms with a club a few months ago, shortly after deciding to run down his contract at Stamford Bridge. Christensen has signed a four-year contract at Barcelona, with a release clause of €500 million. He will be presented as a Barcelona player on Thursday, at the Tito Vilanova training ground. The announcement of Christensen’s arrival comes just hours after Barcelona officiated the transfer of another free transfer in Franck Kessie. The Ivorian has also signed a four-year contract at Camp Nou and the two will play a vital role in the club’s success in the years to come. Christensen is coming on the back of a fruitful spell at Chelsea that saw him lift the UEFA Champions League last year. He has an FA Cup and a UEFA Europa League title to his name as well, with Xavi hoping he can offer the winning mentality to his Barcelona setup. In addition to his pedigree to win, the Danish international offers an abundance of experience at the highest level of football. He had appeared in 160 competitive matches for Chelsea and had even plied his trade in the Bundesliga briefly, with Borussia Monchengladbach. Tactically, the former Gladbach starlet is lauded for his technical ability and positional awareness. He should offer the grace to Ronald Araujo’s grit at the heart of the Barça backline next season. Christensen’s arrival at the club should also lead to the exit of Samuel Umtiti, who is reportedly closing in on a move to Rennes.
Barcelona sign Andreas Christensen after defender’s Chelsea exit