Thomas Tuchel has been speaking ahead of the final day of the Premier League season, and he made an interesting claim about Tottenham and Newcastle target Andreas Christensen.
What’s the story?
Well, both Spurs and the Magpies are said to be interested in signing the Denmark international when his contract expires in June.
Earlier this year, some outlets claimed that Christensen had actually agreed to join Barcelona when his deal at Stamford Bridge ended.
That has since gone quiet, although Tuchel has now made a revelation which suggests the 26-year-old is leaving west London.
As quoted by The Times, the German said: “Andreas came to me on the morning of the match to speak to me and tell me he’s not ready to start the match or be on the bench. He had his reasons, they stay private and confidential. We had to respect it, and of course we respected it.”
Now, that is very unusual.
Barring injury, every player wants to start a cup final, so we find it extremely odd that Christensen actively asked Tuchel to leave him out.
The Chelsea boss says the reason will remain private, so we doubt it had anything to do with an injury.
Tottenham & Newcastle boosted
In normal circumstances, Chelsea might’ve already agreed a new contract with Christensen.
However, after Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK Government, the Blues were unable to discuss contract renewals with any of their players.
It has already caused them to lose Antonio Rudiger, who also becomes a free agent in June, while Cesar Azpilicueta also looks set to depart Chelsea.
According to the BBC, the Blues are still yet to be sold to Todd Boehly as negotiations stall, which will come as a boost to Tottenham and Newcastle.
Now, the pair have more time to work on a deal for Christensen, all the while Chelsea are unable to do anything, which will please Antonio Conte and Eddie Howe.
Keep an eye on this situation, as Chelsea could soon lose the Dane to a Premier League rival.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
