Andreas Christensen has penned a parting message to Chelsea, after the Blues announced the Denmark international would leave at the end of his contract earlier in the month. The Denmark international is widely expected to join Barcelona, with Christensen having acknowledged that he has known is next step 'for a while', albeit it is not entirely in his own hands.
The Catalan club's financial difficulties appear to see Christensen and fellow free transfer Franck Kessie unable to be registered for the La Liga side. Nevertheless, there have been no shortage of additional players linked with moves to the Nou Camp, including the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Jules Kounde and Raphinha.
The 26-year-old believes the time was right to depart Stamford Bridge, after a decade spent with the club and conceded it had not been an easy decision due to his love for the club. Christensen reflected on on his proudest moments at Chelsea and named academy chiefs Jim Fraser and Neil Bath as having a major impact when he initially joined the club.
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Christensen said in a statement: “I had a tough decision to make at the age of 16 to leave Denmark. I met many different clubs but there was only ever one choice for me and that was Chelsea. From the moment I arrived they made me feel at home, I’m grateful to Jim Fraser and Neil Bath who immediately embraced me as part of their family.
“Some of my proudest moments at the club were when we won FA Youth Cup and UEFA Youth League. Those were a special group of young players that I was proud to have as teammates. I was fortunate to play under some fantastic managers including [Antonio] Conte, [Jose] Mourinho and now Thomas Tuchel. Last year was my proudest achievement as a player when we lifted the Champions League in Porto.
“I was a young boy at Chelsea with all the hopes and fears of a player starting his career, I’m grateful to the whole club for making my dream come true.”
“Having spent ten amazing years at this club, I felt now was the right time for a new beginning for me and my family." he added, "Mentally the last few months have been tough as it’s not been an easy decision to leave this club and the fans.
“I’m not the most talkative person so sometimes people don’t understand how much the club and the fans mean to me. I will miss the players, staff and everyone here. I wish the best for the club and the fans in the future."
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