Chelsea Transfer News: Cesar Azpilicueta's Commitment to Blues Is Huge

Chelsea are in the midst of a dominant season, one in which they've yet to lose a game. New additions like Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas have been brilliant, catapulting the team from a Premier League contender that ultimately fell short last year to arguably the most in-form side in club football at the moment.

But the last thing the Blues need is a departure of any of their stars or key figures. And that's why everyone at the club is surely relieved that, despite the rumoured interest of Barcelona and Real Madrid, defender Cesar Azpilicueta told Rhys Turrell of the Daily Star he's happy in London and isn't going anywhere soon:

"

I don’t think about it because I’m happy here. I follow La Liga but don’t think of going back there. I’m really enjoying London now. I prefer the Premier League and I’m eager to improve.

I’ve always worked to be one of the best and it’s clear that the more you achieve then the more pressure you have. But I can still improve a lot. Whenever I watch a game I try to look at others who play in my position because they teach me things to improve myself.

I’m lucky to train with some great defenders and they are also an example for me.

"

The man they call "Dave" has started 12 Premier League games for Chelsea this season, notching two assists and earning a 7.16 average match rating from WhoScored.com. He really made a name for himself last season, starting 29 Premier League matches, earning a 7.26 average match rating and playing a key part in Chelsea's stingy defensive unit.

And if Michael Cox of ESPN FC was a voter on FIFPro's World XI, he would certainly have Azpilicueta in the running. Well, he thinks he would. Maybe.

Nobody would fault Cox, or anyone else for that matter, if they considered "Dave" one of the top defenders in the game at the moment.

Players like Costa, Fabregas, Eden Hazard and Oscar might steal the show, but the reason those players have the freedom to bomb forward in the attack is because Chelsea's defense is so solid (and having an absolute destroyer in the midfield like Nemanja Matic helps, too). 

Azpilicueta's versatility is one of his finer traits. While he plays on the left for Chelsea, he is just as capable of holding down the fort on the right side. That sort of versatility is key for a club like the Blues that plays a ton of games across multiple competitions each season and benefits from defenders who can fill more than one roll (just ask Arsenal if they'd like a player like Azpilicueta this season).

Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

Add in the fact that Chelsea have Branislav Ivanovic, a player capable of playing centrally or on the right, and the Blues can mix and match their defensive pairings nicely even when a player or two goes down. That makes holding onto players like "Dave" all the more important.

Thankfully, it doesn't seem like he'll be going anywhere soon.