half-year deal at Chelsea, the club have confirmed,
tying the defender to Stamford Bridge until 2020.
The versatile 27-year-old has impressed during
Antonio Conte's first season in charge, operating
as part of a three-man defence and contributing to
the Blues' march to the top of the Premier League
table.
Nominally a full-back, the Spain international has
become accustomed to playing on the right side of
Conte's preferred backline, alongside David Luiz
and Gary Cahill.
The former Osasuna player could make his 200th
appearance for Chelsea against Sunderland on
Wednesday, having joined from Marseille in 2012.
.@CesarAzpi has today signed a new
three-and-a-half-year contract!
Full story https://t.co/uJDWgpha9Z
pic.twitter.com/jpcaJz6qRs
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December
13, 2016
"I'm really happy to have signed a new contract,"
he told the club's official website.
"Since I arrived here my target was to progress as
a player and win trophies. This new contract gives
me the chance to continue my relationship with the
club, that's what I wanted and obviously I'm really
happy here.
"We've had some really good moments so far this
season. From day one, we started working very
hard. We have a new manager with new ideas and
I'm really happy to be working with him. Obviously
we can still improve but the long-term aim for us
is to win trophies, that is what we all want, the
players, manager and fans."
Azpilicueta won the Europa League in 2013-13,
followed by the League Cup and Premier League in
2014-15. He has operated at both right and left-
back prior to Conte's formation change this
season.
The Pamplona native has been capped 18 times at
senior international level by Spain.
Chelsea, meanwhile, hold a three-point lead over
Arsenal at the top of the table, having mounted an
impressive run of nine successive league victories
since going down 3-0 at the Gunners on September
24.
Azpilicueta has more than played his part in that
sequence, with the Blues boasting the joint best
defensive record alongside Tottenham, having
conceded just 11 goals from 15 matches played.
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