Transfer Centre

Chelsea 'have no plans to sell defender Andreas Christensen'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 11 October 2016

Rumoured Barcelona target Andreas Christensen will not be put up for sale next summer and will instead be integrated into Chelsea's first-team squad, a report claims.

Chelsea are reportedly confident of keeping hold of defender Andreas Christensen amid rumoured interest from Spanish giants Barcelona.

The Denmark international emerged as a surprise £20m target for the Catalan club at the weekend after impressing during a recent European tie.

Christensen is in the second of his two-year loan spell at Borussia Monchengladbach, where he has stood out to attract attention from some of European football's biggest names - including Barcelona.

According to the Daily Mail, however, Chelsea will not allow their academy product to leave the club next summer and will instead look to integrate him into the first-team squad once he returns from his loan stint.

With key figures John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic moving towards the Stamford Bridge exit, it is suggested that Antonio Conte is keen to get the ball-playing centre-back - who has eight caps for Denmark and Champions League experience - into the senior fold.

Chelsea were in the market for a new central defender in the summer, eventually settling for former player David Luiz after missing out on a couple of their top targets.