Thomas Tuchel has confessed that he is not happy with the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the future of centre-back Andreas Christensen.
The Dane has entered the final few months of his contract and is set to seal a free transfer to Barcelona, having backed out on no fewer than two agreements over an extension at Chelsea earlier this season.
There are suggestions that Christensen’s switch to Barcelona could be confirmed as early as next week, and Tuchel admitted that he isn’t best pleased with the situation.
On Christensen’s future, he said: “It’s in doubt, no? We hear the rumours and the situation with Andreas has been clear for many weeks. We are not happy about it.
“For me personally, and the club representatives, we think that it is best for him to stay. We rely heavily on him. He did not sign yet, so you can’t not communicate. The communication from his side is that he hasn’t signed, so we have to consider the possibility that he leaves us.
“Do we like it? No. Will we live with it? Yes. Things are not personal, they never should be personal. This can happen.”
Nevertheless, Tuchel stressed that he will not banish Christensen to the stands if he does agree a free transfer away, insisting he will still have a place for the 25-year-old in his squad.
“I don’t think so,” Tuchel continued. “If things happen, I try and not take them personally. If things like this happen and he’s still our player, we will do what is best for us while he is a Chelsea player.
“He knows we appreciate him a lot. I think this is a crucial point in his Chelsea career in this moment. It’s a crucial point where, at the perfect age in the perfect moment… the system we play, the guys at his side – considering all this, it’s the decisive moment for him to step up and be a huge Chelsea player for the next years.
“If he decides otherwise, I will not take it personally. In the end, it’s not important whether I understand him or not. But I will treat him like my player until the very last day, if he behaves how we behave here.”
Story Credit: 90min.com
