Thomas Tuchel has strongly hinted that Chelsea have lost the battle to keep hold of Andreas Christensen.
The out of contract defender is close to completing a move to Barcelona in the summer, with the Catalan giants convinced he is on his way to the Nou Camp.
Chelsea have been desperate to agree an extension with the Dane but it has become increasingly clear that he wants to leave Stamford Bridge.
Barca see him as pivotal to their rebuild under Xavi and are also trying lure Toni Rudiger and Cesar Azpilicueta away from Chelsea.
Tuchel insists there is still no confirmation Christensen will leave but did little to deny claims a deal has been struck with Barca.
He said: “We heard the rumours, the same rumours. I have no confirmation for you as I did not speak to Andreas about it at the moment, but we heard the same rumours, so maybe it’s like this.”
Rudiger’s agent and half-brother, Sahr Senesie, met Barca’s director of football, Mateu Alemany, and advisor Jordi Cruyff in Catalonia on Wednesday.
While he is yet to make a decision over his future, Chelsea could be taken out of the picture due to the time it will take to complete the sale of the club, with sanctions on Roman Abramovich meaning they cannot buy or sell players – or offer new contracts.
Tuchel responded to the Rudiger situation, saying: “I would try to meet him if I was any other club. He’s still our player, we still think there’s a good chance he stays our player once things are solved.
“This situation is the situation at the moment. Our hands are tied. We cannot speak, negotiate with him and his agent. Fair enough if it’s true that he listens to other offers. That’s the way things go but I am still confident.”
Better news for Chelsea is the triggering of a one-year deal for Cesar Azpilicueta, who was also set to walk away for nothing, with Barca tracking him.
Tuchel said: “It’s a good thing, we were aware of it. It’s good news for us. We have a contract, he’s our captain, it’s a very high possibility he will stay.
“I knew the amount of games we needed to make him stay, to make his contract continue or extend. That’s why I am very happy. You know how much I rely on him and how much impact he has in this group and this club.”
Meanwhile Tuchel insists there is no room for complaints among his players, following claims in Italy that Romelu Lukaku is unhappy at the club.
The £97.5million signing has been a peripheral figure in recent weeks after struggling to settle since his move from Inter Milan.
Tuchel added: “We don’t reflect on it. The situation at the moment is that we cannot talk to players, cannot sell and cannot buy. In this moment we don’t need to think about it.
“These are the players we have. Romelu still plays a big part. Not the part maybe he wants to play and I totally understand it.
“He used his time (during the international break) to disconnect a little bit, one week of a holiday then he was back with us.
“I feel him very motivated, very strong in training, very much involved when we do the games. He is a winner and he will stay a winner and stay important with us. He had a good match in Middlesbrough, a huge boost for all of us and for him personally and in the moment there is no space for bad mood and no space for disappointment. There is simply not.
“I checked the schedule last week and I knew this was the schedule, but once it is in front of you, you see what’s coming. There are a lot of matches in the decisive weeks of the season.
“That’s why there is no space now for second thoughts, being distracted or disappointed. We need everybody, every player and that includes Romelu.”
