Cesar Azpilicueta Would Not Be a Good Signing for Barcelona This Summer
Barcelona's summer recruitment drive is certain to yield a new face or two in their defensive ranks, with Dani Alves and Marc Bartra already assured of leaving the squad and another couple of departures entirely possible.
Douglas, Adriano and Thomas Vermaelen could all leave the Camp Nou, per Marca, before 2016-17 kicks off, leaving Barca especially short in the full-back areas, with Jordi Alba the only established name likely to keep his place.
The transfer mill's latest name to fill one of the voids is Chelsea full-back Cesar Azpilicueta, who is linked with the Catalan side by the Telegraph (h/t Marca). The Spanish international is certainly a quality player, as evidenced by his inclusion in the national team's UEFA Euro 2016 squad, but he is absolutely not the player Barcelona require to fill Alves' spot on the right.
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Principle requirements
Only a week ago we discussed the importance of getting Alves' replacement right, not simply in terms of the quality of a new right-back but in terms of the tactical reliance on the Brazilian that Luis Enrique, Tata Martino, Tito Vilanova and Pep Guardiola have all had in recent seasons.
Alves' overlapping tendencies, his ability to operate as a winger from a high starting point, his timing of when to burst through the middle or when to hold width and his crossing ability have been critical to the evolution of the team with Lionel Messi as a part-goalscorer, part-playmaker.
Messi is and will remain the fulcrum of the team, and to get the best from him Barca have to allow him space to play in—but also fill the spaces around him with other options.
That capacity to frequently surge up the wing and dominate the entire flank, offensively and defensively, has long made Alves the perfect tactical option, even when his performances on a technical level have dipped at times in the past two seasons.
Simply put, Azpilicueta's greatest strengths do not lie in the same areas.
Appeal of Azpi
There's obviously lots to admire about Azpilicueta's game for anyone who watches him with regularity. He's a supporting full-back when his team are on the attack, providing an option to pass to and at times overlapping, but most frequently simply being an option to recycle play or provide a solid platform for others to rotate positions ahead of him.
His crossing is passably fair, he's extremely composed in possession and he doesn't hesitate to press and challenge quickly to win back the ball high upfield if he's there when the team suffers a turnover.
Add in that he's Spanish, is only 26 and comes across as an extremely low-maintenance player, and the appeal is clear—as well as the forward-thinking aspect of always having a buyer for him. Being Basque, Athletic Club would take him in a heartbeat at any time, given the restrictions on the talent pool they choose from.
Azpilicueta also plays on both sides of the defence. For Chelsea, he has almost exclusively been a left-back until the latter stages of last season, but of course he made his name on his more natural side, the right. Such versatility is always a bonus for managers.
Costs and Benefits
Barcelona could weigh up the pros and cons of signing a more steady presence, but the argument would always eventually cycle back to the same variable: Messi.
Plenty of teams enjoy success by using one offensive-minded, rampaging full-back on one side and a far more diligent, defence-first, withdrawn option on the opposite flank to give the team balance, perhaps accommodate an attacker who is less inclined to track back ahead of the defender, and so on—but that doesn't fit Barca's model.
Their emphasis is on dominating games, keeping teams on the back foot and being able to attack from all angles, including both sides of the defence—as well as asking the full-backs to be physically capable of tracking back at pace when counter-attacks threaten.
Not only would Azpilicueta struggle to constantly bomb up and down the wing every game, all game, in the way Jordi Alba manages, but he also isn't naturally inclined to station himself high upfield as an out-ball for his starting position.
That in turn would detract from Messi's capacity to roam freely, with opposition defenders having one less problem to worry about.
Some of the right-backs Barca have been linked with have had absurd price tags attached—Joao Cancelo's €30 million, per Marca, springs to mind—but there's no reason to think Chelsea would be any less demanding. The Premier League side have frequently gotten top money for player sales, even for those not in the first XI on a regular basis, and Azpilicueta has played a big part in their success, as well as last season's drop-off.
Patience
A right-back will arrive at Barcelona this month—of that there seems no question.
Robert Fernandez was reported by Marca as confirming the club were looking primarily at defensive reinforcements, given their departures, and another versatile full-back has recently been linked, too, per Marca: Jonny Castro of Celta Vigo.
That's an easy link given Luis Enrique used to coach the player, but it's an example of how quality can be sought without going huge on a transfer fee—and more importantly, how the right tactical choice can be found.
It's clear Barca need better depth, and depth doesn't always mean getting five players of exactly the same level. There isn't enough room in the team, and someone will be left without significant game time.
But, similarly, sometimes a position is critical to get right from the team's perspective, and this summer that's right-back for Barcelona—and Cesar Azpilicueta doesn't fit the bill.
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