The correction: Andreas Christensen comes to Barcelona mainly thanks to his personal ambition

Andreas Christensen's father believed that the financial conditions in the Premier League would be better than in Barcelona, ​​but the brake that was in the Catalans' sights a decade ago when he was 15, chose Camp Nou to close the circle for him.

Will he fit into the different method and what made him want to leave Chelsea?

Michael Yochin

07/07/2022

Thursday, 07 July 2022, 12:30 p.m.

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So Chelsea's two brakes made their way to Spain's two big teams this summer as free agents.

The signing of Antonio Rodiger at Real Madrid greatly saddened the Blues' fans, but was expected and did not hurt the reputation of the German star in London.

He will always be welcomed with open arms if he has the opportunity to visit.

The case of Andreas Christensen is different, and his image in London was completely destroyed following the saga that led to his departure in favor of Barcelona.

Is this justified?

Everyone can see this from their own angle.

The Blues' management believed that the talks to extend the Danish brake's contract were supposed to end successfully as early as last summer, after he played excellently in the Champions League final, where he replaced the injured Thiago Silva in the first half.

Chelsea kept a clean sheet 0-1 over Manchester City, and in general Christensen returned to being a dominant player in Thomas Tuchel's lineup, after a less successful period personally under the guidance of Frank Lampard and especially Maurizio Sari.

The agreed salary was £ 140,000 a week, but the bonus remained controversial - and it eventually led to an explosion.

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Swinging between the lineup and the bench at Tuchel.

Christensen (Photo: GettyImages, Robbie Jay Barratt)

The club and player interpreted the delay differently, and while the Dane was waiting for a new offer that could upgrade his financial situation, Tuchel took an unusual position early last season, rarely used Christensen in the squad, and even openly stated in the media that this was done to persuade him to sign faster and commit.

In practice, this unnecessary belligerent attitude greatly undermined the chances of the star staying.

The Dane was well aware that the club was suffering from instability in the manager's position, and this directly affected him.

During Sari's short tenure he became completely irrelevant and seriously considered leaving.

Now, even the boss he trusted has resorted to improper methods to his liking.

What will be his fate if he extends the contract for too long?

He sought to shorten the period from 5 to 3 years, and at some point it was already lost.

In January he was already allowed to legally negotiate with other teams, Barcelona came into the picture, and Christensen decided that the move to Camp Nou would upgrade him professionally.

He made the decision contrary to the opinion of his father, who even represented him as an agent for a period of time.

The father believed that financial conditions would be preferable at Chelsea or another Premier League team, but in terms of the brake himself Barça was the pinnacle of ambition.

Many Danes dream of reaching the Catalan flagship, thanks in part to the tenure of the legendary Michael Laudrup at the club, and for Christensen it was a particularly tangible ambition.

After all, Laudrup coached him at Brondby at the age of 15, and even praised him when Barça representatives were interested in him at the time.

According to him, it was a combination of Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets.

Chelsea then won his services, but now - a decade later - it is time for a correction.

For him, coming to Barcelona is a dream come true (Photo: Official website, Barcelona)

Tuchel realized that the threats were not working, and changed his conduct.

As long as nothing was officially signed with Barça, he continued to use Danny, praising him in the media at every opportunity.

"Andreas needs to make an important decision about his future. He can stay and become a key player at Chelsea for many years to come," the German said.

Christensen was unaffected by it, and the expected departure caused fans to turn the fire on him.

They were not happy to say the least from his appearance in the first game of the Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid, so he did not face Vinicius at all, was substituted in the half and did not partner with each other.

Even more unusual was his absence from the FA Cup final against Liverpool.

Tuchel designated Christensen for the squad, but the Dane declared himself unfit the morning before the game, left the hotel and was not at the stadium at all during the match.

The manager claimed that there were justifiable reasons for this, but the fans were not convinced, and the way the player behaved conveyed the wrong message.

Some have argued that he prefers not to risk injury ahead of signing at Barça, and the brake is indeed not a partner in the last two league rounds either.

Thus, he did not part properly from the stands unlike Rodiger, and it was not a proper end to such a long term, during which the player contributed greatly to the success of the club.

In Chelsea and the national team he was one of a brake trio.

In Barcelona he will have to adapt to the two-brake method (Photo: Reuters)

What awaits him now in Barcelona, ​​when the club will finally be able to register him in accordance with budgetary constraints?

Stylistically, he is very suitable for Camp Nou, because he is a player with excellent game vision who likes to develop attacks from behind, makes sure to keep the ball, is able to play as a back contact if necessary, and has excellent technical control.

"I try not to complicate things on the pitch and let the ball move," he said when introduced in Catalonia.

Christensen is also known as a very fair defensive player, who rarely commits offenses and absorbs cards.

The goal is to win the battles for the right location and avoid collisions as much as possible.

On the other hand, in terms of lineup, the match is less good.

Christensen spent the good times of his career as part of a trio of brakes - often as the back brake, meaning Libero, and sometimes as a right-hander like Tuchel when Thiago Silva was in charge of the center.

He also excelled in the Danish national team, especially when coach Caspar Yulmand applied the three-brake system at Euro 2020. It is no coincidence, then, that he was not counted by Sari at Chelsea - the Italian did not make the decision maliciously, but thought the Dane was less relevant in the lineup. His regular 3-3-4.

Barcelona are not expected to change tactics to integrate Christensen optimally, so he may get opportunities as part of a brake clutch, for example alongside the tough Ronald Araujo.

On paper, this may work, but success is by no means guaranteed.

Also, his mental resilience will stand the test in the new group.

Chelsea were unsure of his ability to withstand the pressure, even if this was especially evident last season when his motivation dropped significantly ahead of the move.

New encounters against Vinicius in the Clásico may make the point better.

"I've been waiting for this for a long time, and I'm excited. It's a great opportunity for me, and I'm happy to be here," Christensen said upon arrival.

His potential is high, but the decision was not trivial, and its readiness will be tested at the beginning of next season.

Real Madrid, in any case, believe that they have won a more stable brake and more suitable in all respects in the form of Rodiger.

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