Thomas Tuchel left devastated after yet another Chelsea defender quits Stamford Bridge

These may not be happy times for Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel after yet another of his defenders is set to depart Stamford Bridge to join Barcelona on a free transfer on July 1st after deciding against extending his stay in west London.

National Daily had previously gathered from the claim by Evening Standard that Andreas Christensen had agreed terms over a new deal with the club but he left Tuchel and the board ‘furious’ when he made a u-turn on staying at the club.

But the Denmark international says he will forever cherish the ten ‘amazing’ years he spent at the club and says it was the right time to depart.

‘I had a tough decision to make at the age of 16 to leave Denmark,’ Christensen said in a statement.

‘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.’

Christensen’s departure has been felt even more sharply but the added blow of Antonio Rudiger leaving for Real Madrid.

Tuchel had relied on the pair – as well as Thiago Silva – in a three-man defence last term.