It was a somewhat throwaway comment from Thomas Tuchel after the FA Cup final that finally confirmed what everyone at Chelsea has known for some time: Andreas Christensen will leave the club in the summer after a decade at Stamford Bridge.
The 26-year-old will depart on a free transfer; Barcelona is his next destination. That will hurt Chelsea from both a sporting and financial perspective. During the first year of Tuchel's tenure, Christensen blossomed into the elite-level centre-back that those at the club – and even John Terry – long expected.
Renewed confidence played its part, as did the defensive structure put in place by Tuchel. Yet the leaps taken by Christensen were sizeable and noticeable – his improved ability and belief to marshall and contain the Premier League's most physical forwards shifted many supporters' perceptions.
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Standout performances were produced. The Dane started both legs of the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid and looked at ease on the right of the Chelsea back three. He didn't make the starting XI for the final against Man City but was called upon from the substitutes' bench after Thiago Silva suffered a first-half injury.
Christensen played 51 minutes in Porto under the biggest pressure. Not once did he let Chelsea down. His display – as was the case for many of his teammates – was flawless, and he deserved to lift the big-eared trophy. At that point, his long-term future very much appeared to be at Stamford Bridge despite only a year remaining on his contract.
However, talks to extend Christensen's deal did not progress at pace, and the summer transfer window came and went with no resolution. Yet as recently as September, the defender appeared keen to remain at Stamford Bridge.
"We have won the Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup. I am very happy to be at this club and feel Chelsea are the right place to be in England," Christensen, who joined Chelsea from Brondby at the age of 15, told Ekstra Bladet "I know a lot is being said right now. I can't say too much, but I think it looks good."
There were two occasions this season that Chelsea thought a new deal with Christensen was agreed – but no contract was signed. And come January, the Denmark international was free to speak to clubs outside of England over a free transfer come the end of the campaign. Barcelona made their move.
The second half of the season hasn't been easy for Christensen. He's struggled with illness and a back issue and has completed 90 minutes just eight times across all competitions. His performance levels have also dipped; he struggled against Vinicius Junior when selected against Real Madrid and made a high-profile mistake in the defeat to Arsenal.
Still, Christensen retained the trust of Tuchel and was expected to start the FA Cup final against Liverpool on Saturday. But on the morning of the game, football.london understands the defender informed Chelsea's head coach that he was not available for selection, something that came as a surprise to many within the Blues squad.
Chelsea went on to suffer defeat in the cup final on penalties – and it's impossible to know whether the result would have been different with Christensen in the side. Yet understandably, there has been a strong emotional reaction from supporters to the news that he opted not to play.
It's unfortunate that Christensen's divorce from Chelsea has become acrimonious. After all, he academy graduate who has won the Champions League, Europa League, Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup and made more than 160 first-team appearances. His story at the club is one of success, even if it was a slow burn.
A quiet character off the pitch, he is well-liked within the Chelsea squad and by Tuchel and his staff. So his departure, while disappointing, didn't need to become messy – it's certainly intriguing as to whether he will feature in either of the Blues' final two games of the season against Leicester City and Watford.
If not, Christensen's final Chelsea outing will have been away at Leeds United, a game that the Blues won 3-0 with the 26-year-old in the heart of the back three, the spot many expected him to cement in the seasons ahead at Stamford Bridge. It will be a memory of what could have been.
