£6.5 million. That was the initial fee Chelsea paid to Marseille in August 2012 for Cesar Azpilicueta.
In a summer that was dominated by the capture of a young Belgian wizard named Eden Hazard and a Brazilian star called Oscar, the full-back was deemed a bit of an afterthought.
The club shop quickly sold t-shirts proclaiming Hazard, Oscar and Juan Mata as "The Three Amigos". The gold that dominated that season's home shirt was a constant reminder of the cinematic triumph the previous May in Munich. Azpilicueta was viewed as a backup to Branislav Ivanovic, maybe one day a competent successor, but no one would have predicted he would go on to lift Chelsea's second Champions League crown and become an undisputed legend.
READ MORE: Todd Boehly arranges Barcelona 'meal' to discuss Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso transfers
Back in February in Abu Dhabi, it felt very symbolic that Azpilicueta held onto the ball in the moments before Chelsea's decisive penalty. The penalty would likely decide if the 32-year-old was to complete a grand slam of honours.
It was not that wild to assume he would be taking it, given Jorginho not being on the field and his own record in shootouts for Chelsea down the years. But instead, he passed it off to Kai Havertz, who would assume responsibility as angered Palmeiras heads desperately tried to delay their nightmare.
Kai made no mistake, and Azpilicueta would have his dream completed.
"When I arrived in 2012, I couldn't imagine the journey I would go on," the defender said after the final win.
"I'm really proud to be the Chelsea captain, leading the club on and off the pitch. This title feels very good because it's the first time in our history. The club deserves it, the owner deserves it, and I'm proud we achieved it."
There are not enough superlatives to describe how phenomenal a signing Azpilicueta has been for Chelsea. A true hidden gem within an inflated market that has provided many duds or players incapable of surviving the natural chaos of Roman Abramovich's regime.
Remaining relevant under Roberto Di Matteo, Rafael Benitez, Jose Mourinho, Guus Hiddink, Antonio Conte, Maurizio Sarri, Frank Lampard and Thomas Tuchel speaks to a ridiculous talent. But talent is not a word we naturally associate with the man we call Dave.
When we think of him, we speak of his professionalism, maturity, grit, intelligence, and work ethic. And whilst all those traits are vital to his success, that may slightly undermine the fact he has been one of the world's top-level defenders over the past decade.
This is also a player who has shown humility to be versatile to maintain a vital role under different head coaches. Right-back was the role he was bought for, but when he does depart Stamford Bridge, it will arguably be his time as a left-back under Mourinho in 2014/15 or as a centre-back in Conte's 2016/17 title-winning season that will be spoken of.
Azpilicueta's Chelsea future has been a complete mystery for several months. Even after the club announced that the Spaniard had triggered an extension to his current deal for another 12 months, the interest from Barcelona never dissipated. And as Todd Boehly arrived in Spain on Thursday night to meet with Barcelona executives to discuss both Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso, who have both agreed personal terms with the Catalan club.
As is now the case with Barca's transfer aspirations, the reality of them actually paying the money Chelsea desire is still to be clarified. However, this feels like the final days of Azpilicueta as a Chelsea player, and it just feels like the right moment.
I had come to the conclusion that it probably should be after the Club World Cup, which put the finest full stop on a legendary decade in west London. If you told me tomorrow we have him for another season, I'd be happy because I want every footballer to provide the consistency and professionalism of Azpilicueta.
But when you look at the emergence of Trevoh Chalobah, Levi Colwill, the search for new defensive targets and a new era triggered by a chance of ownership, symbolically, Azpilicueta's departure is a neat one. There is little for him left to accomplish, and some of his mistakes at the end of the 2021/22 campaign slightly scuppered the pristine and reliable image forged over his career.
Jose Mourinho, in February 2014, lauded his talent in probably the most succinct way possible.
"I think a team with 11 Azpilicueta's would probably win the competition (Champions League) because football is not just about pure talent."
It isn't a life lesson we can all take inspiration from.
What I love most about Dave's Chelsea legacy is that the icons he once felt a million miles from in 2012, he now stands shoulder to shoulder with. Boehly would have done extremely well to uncover a signing of value like Azpilicueta again.
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