Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel has insisted that Cesar Azpilicueta is still "super important" to the Blues amid his uncertain future.
The former Marseille man is due to become a free agent in under six months' time and has supposedly been offered a two-year contract by Barcelona to return to his homeland.
Chelsea are still thought to be hopeful of tying Azpilicueta down to fresh terms at Stamford Bridge, and Tuchel has now talked up the importance of the 32-year-old.
"The plans, most of them are not longer than 10 or 14 days in football and for me as a manager. But he's super important. He was super important from day one," Tuchel told reporters at a press conference.
"We had a good connection from the first day, which you always look for as a coach. He gets better with every game he plays. He's an example of a leader who leads by example, which is always super nice to have.
'Now he collects so many trophies and has had an incredible career at one club, which is outstanding. He embodies everything that Chelsea stands for - being relentless, being humble, but being a warrior at the same time.
"I don't think there are people who don't wish the very best for him and don't like that he has all these trophies. He deserves it."
Azpilicueta has won the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, Europa League and Club World Cup during his time at Chelsea, racking up 15 goals and 56 assists in 459 appearances for the European champions.
Ben Knapton
