Football News: Andreas Christensen to Barcelona on a free transfer
Andreas Christensen joined Barcelona on a free transfer this week. Despite signing for free, defender Christensen, 26, will almost certainly earn high transfer fees if he leaves Barcelona before their contracts expire
Andreas Christensen of Chelsea FCThe Liga giants have added a player who spent ten years at Stamford Bridge to their ranks.
Barcelona has listed Andreas Christensen as a free agent, with the Danish defender free to join the club after parting with Chelsea.
The 26-year-old centre-half had been linked with a move to Barcelona when it was reported he would not be signing a new deal at Stamford Bridge.
With no transfer fee, Barcelona was able to offer Christensen a lucrative four-year contract until the summer of 2026.
It is the same contract term as Franck Kessie, who was revealed as a Barcelona player earlier that day.
Both guys have €500 million release clauses, and Christensen will be unveiled on Thursday, the day after signing from Milan.
There are issues with registering new players, but the Blaugrana insist they have enough room in their pay cap to bring in new faces.
What will Barcelona gain from Christensen?
The Danish international, who has 56 caps for his country, will bring valuable experience to Barcelona's back line.
With Gerard Pique nearing the end of his career, another seasoned performer is poised to replace Ronald Araujo and Eric Garcia.
Christensen, who spent two seasons on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga between 2015 and 2017, made 93 Premier League appearances for Chelsea.
He often competed in continental competitions and arrived at Camp Nou with the Champions League, Europa League, UEFA Super, and FIFA Club World Cup winners' medals.
Other players en route to Barcelona
Despite signing Ferran Torres and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to complement Ansu Fati in attack during the winter transfer window, Barcelona is still looking for attacking reinforcements.
Prolific Robert Lewandowski, a 33-year-old Polish striker, is seeking a way out of Bayern Munich and would appreciate the chance to test himself in La Liga.
Brazil international winger Raphinha has also surfaced as a key target for Barcelona, with the South American willing to stay at Leeds despite interest from Arsenal and Chelsea.
Bernardo Silva is another Premier League star considered high on Xavi's want list, leading Manchester City to another title triumph in 2021-22.
Chelsea duo Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta have also been linked to a move to Barcelona and could end up following Christensen's footsteps.
If no deals can be struck there, Sevilla star Jules Kounde has been widely connected, and the Frenchman might still make a move between domestic rivals.
Barcelona will be trying to force their way back into contention for the Liga title in 2022-23 with Christensen on board and Kessie already signed, with more reinforcements on the way.