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Andreas Christensen's Chelsea career never quite clicked into gear despite some huge performances... Blues supporters will hope his Barcelona exit doesn't lead to an exodus and will mean the club CANNOT afford to lose Antonio Rudiger

Antonio Conte spotted something in Andreas Christensen. The then-21-year-old became a key part of Conte's defence in 2017-18, as the Blues looked to defend their Premier League title.

In February 2018, after a crucial mistake saw Lionel Messi score in a 1-1 Champions League draw against Barcelona, the Italian said: 'I have a lot of trust in Christensen. This player is... for Chelsea's future for 10 or 12 years. He can also become the captain in the future.'

Slightly more than four years later, Christensen is set to leave the club on a free transfer, which seems almost inconceivable given the immense potential Conte saw in him.