EXCLUSIVE
By Wayne Veysey | Chief Correspondent
Cesar Azpilicueta is poised to complete a €10 million (£7.9m) move to Chelsea early next week, Goal.com has learned.
The Marseille defender’s representatives were in London on Friday to discuss personal terms and put the finishing touches on his switch to Stamford Bridge.
Sources have told Goal.com that Azpilicueta will play for Marseille in their Ligue 1 home fixture against Sochaux on Sunday before joining Chelsea early next week.
The two clubs have finally reached agreement on the fee to bring an end to a summer-long pursuit.
Chelsea released Jose Bosingwa earlier in the summer and have spent most of the window pursuing Azpilicueta as a replacement.
The former Spain Under-21 international, who represented his country in their disastrous Olympics campaign, is expected to slot straight into Roberto Di Matteo’s team at right-back, where his main competition comes from veteran Paulo Ferreira and the versatile Branislav Ivanovic.
A product of Osasuna’s youth system, he made his La Liga debut aged 17 and was a first-team regular at 18 before moving to the Stade Velodrom in 2010.
A knee injury kept him on the sidelines for six months in his first season at Marseille in but he went on to fully establish himself in the team last season.