Chelsea Transfer News: Cesar Azpilicueta Wise to Avoid Olympic Distraction

Cesar Azpilicueta will play an important role as Spain looks to cap another incredible year of international play with an Olympic gold medal. The rising star can't allow ongoing transfer rumors to impact his play in London.

The Marseille right-back is generating plenty of interest from Chelsea but doesn't want to discuss any possible moves until after the Olympics, according to the Daily Mail. The Blues have been chasing him since earlier in the year.

In the report, Azpilicueta said while he has heard all of the speculation about a move to Stamford Bridge, he doesn't want to discuss it. The 22-year-old defender went on to say, "My dream is to win the gold medal."

Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo has been very active on the transfer market since agreeing to become the team's full-time manager. He has targeted several moves, and adding a high-upside player would keep the Blues trending in the right direction.

Azpilicueta's thoughts obviously throw a wrench into those plans for the time being, however. Spain is a strong gold-medal contender, which means there's a good chance he will be wrapped up in Olympic competition until the middle of August.

It's impossible to blame him for attempting to avoid any distractions, though. The youthful La Roja squad has plenty of pressure on its shoulders after watching its veteran counterparts win the European Championships for the second-straight time.

A triumph in London would give Spain the trifecta of major titles. The country would be in possession of the World Cup, European and Olympic titles at the same time. Anything less than the gold would be a disappointment.

So the last thing Azpilicueta needs is another issue weighing on his mind while he's attempting to shut down some of the world's most talented young players. There will be plenty of time for transfer talk—the same can't be said for winning a gold medal.

His decision doesn't mean Chelsea should stop pursuing him; it's just going to take a little extra patience. Di Matteo can still work with Marseille on getting the fee portion of the agreement worked out and will then be ready to discuss personal terms whenever Azpilicueta is ready.

He would be a very nice addition to the squad and should only continue to improve in the coming years. His Olympic experience should help expedite that development even more.

In other words, he'll be worth the wait.