Andreas Christensen hopes he will soon be able to announce his next club after leaving Chelsea, as the Dane fuelled speculation he will join Barcelona by hailing the Blaugrana as one of Europe’s biggest clubs.
Chelsea announced Christensen’s departure last week, with the defender having been strongly linked with Barca.
Christensen joined Chelsea from Brondby in 2012 and after a spell on loan with Borussia Monchengladbach, went on to make 161 appearances for the Blues, winning the Europa League, Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge.
Having played the full 90 minutes during Denmark’s 2-0 Nations League win over Austria on Monday, the 26-year-old hopes to announce his next destination shortly, having made his decision some time ago.
“I know where I have to play,” the defender told reporters.
Pressed on when an announcement regarding his future could be expected, he responded: “Unfortunately, it’s not entirely up to me. There are also other things that need to fall into place.
“Hopefully soon. But I have known what I was going to do for a while. I’m just waiting for the right time.”
Barcelona have been beset by financial difficulties in recent years, with LaLiga president Javier Tebas recently suggesting Xavi’s team must sell prized assets – such as midfielder Frenkie de Jong – in order to fund any rebuild of their squad during the transfer window.
However, Christensen, who has been touted to provide competition for current Barca centre-backs Gerard Pique and Ronald Araujo, says Barca are a team that would interest any player.
“It is one of the biggest clubs in Europe,” he added. “I think it is for everyone.
“Whether they have had their problems or not, it is still one of the biggest clubs for a player to get to.”