Cesar Azpilicueta has backed Chelsea’s summer recruitments to make an impact at the club. He says the club’s experienced new signings can help captain Reece James keep developing. The Azpilicueta Chelsea signings verdict lands at a key moment for James, who took the armband from Azpilicueta in 2023 at just 23.
Azpilicueta believes the leadership load on James will ease now that experienced players are in the dressing room. Several senior players arrived this summer. Azpilicueta thinks their presence can only help.
Reece James is a special player
Speaking in a BBC interview, Azpilicueta explained why he feels James still has room to grow.
“Reece is still developing,” he said. “People sometimes forget how young he still is because we’ve known him since he came through the academy. I wasn’t captain myself until I was around 28 or 29.”
“Since he got into the first team, you could see he was a special player. The quality was obvious. Now he’s developing the leadership side as well,” Azpilicueta added. He went further.
“When I look at him, I see a player who is still improving and who probably has his best years ahead of him.”
Chelsea sign experienced figures in a long time
Chelsea’s business this summer shows that shift in thinking. They signed Jordan Henderson, Danny Welbeck and Emiliano Martinez from Premier League rivals Brentford, Brighton and Aston Villa. All three are over 30. It is the first time Chelsea have signed players that age in more than four years, a change from several seasons of buying young, as our report on senior recruits explained.
Azpilicueta sees that experience as a direct benefit to James.
“A lot of young players have arrived at the club, but there are also experienced players around him who can help him in the role, and I’m sure he’ll benefit from that support,” he said.
Chelsea have often fielded some of the Premier League’s youngest matchday squads this season, a pattern our Arsenal team selection piece looked at.
Meanwhile, the experienced trio has shown leadership traits before as well. Henderson has led Liverpool before. Welbeck brings a seasoned forward’s know-how. Martinez commands his goal area with real authority. Between them, they give James senior figures to lean on away from match days too.
Azpilicueta still follows Chelsea
Azpilicueta’s bond with Chelsea has not faded since he left for Atletico Madrid and later Sevilla.
“I follow every game and I hope the club comes back to where it belongs,” he said.
He backed the current regime to deliver that return to the top.
“I have confidence that Xabi (Alonso), the staff and the players will do good work. Hopefully they can bring a lot of happiness to the fans,” he said.
Asked whether he could expect a hero’s welcome on a return to Stamford Bridge, Azpilicueta was non-committal.
“I don’t know about that,” he said. He did not rule out a reunion one day, though. “I will come back one day. I won’t be putting my boots on, though.”
