Mauricio Pochettino has stamped his authority as Chelsea boss, allowing club captain Cesar Azpilicueta to leave on a free transfer this summer, despite his contract having a year left to run.
The Spaniard had previously been thought to be staying at Stamford Bridge, with club chairman Todd Boehly blocking a move away for his captain. Barcelona were believed to have been keen on bringing the defender back to his home country last summer, but Boehly vetoing a transfer with the 33-year-old now set to leave for nothing.
Pochettino has arrived at Chelsea, with his first job as boss to form his squad for the upcoming season, with the task of offloading players from a bloated playing staff at Stamford Bridge. Ageing players such as Azpilicueta, Ngolo Kante, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are set to join Kalidou Koulibaly out of the exit door as a new era dawns in West London.
