Andreas Christensen made Chelsea stance clear to Thomas Tuchel with FA Cup final snub

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has admitted defeat in his bid to convince Andreas Christensen to extend his contract at Stamford Bridge, and the Dane's stance could not have been clearer.

The German boss has been vocal that he would like the central defender to remain at the club, and how important he is to his future plans. However, in light of the FA Cup final defeat against Liverpool, the Blues manager admitted that Christensen's time at the club was coming to an end, simply stating: "We are losing Toni [Rudiger], we're losing Andreas."

The admission will have been even more disheartening for Tuchel given the blockbuster revelation that Christensen withdrew from the Chelsea squad just hours before the loss to Liverpool on Saturday afternoon, according to the Mail. Although the reason for his withdrawal is yet to be disclosed, the Denmark international is not believed to have been injured – adding fuel to the fire.

Christensen joined Chelsea in 2012 and has come through the ranks at the club, leading many to believe - pre-ownership woes - that there would be no difficulties in convincing the 26-year-old to stay at the club given that they had nurtured him from a young age. But rejected contract offers suggest that the player has had a wandering eye for months.

The defender has been a regular inclusion under Tuchel but has never truly been one of the first names on the team sheet in London since Antonio Conte was in charge, and whether that is a factor behind his exit is something that only the player will know.

The defender has made 161 appearances for the club overall and won the Champions League and Europa League along the way. Therefore, to throw it all away and turn his back on fans, staff and team-mates seems