Thomas Tuchel must learn Cesar Azpilicueta lesson as Chelsea's £34m question gets louder

There was a moment in the dying seconds of the first half of Saturday's draw with Wolves that hit home why this season should be Cesar Azpilicueta's last in a Chelsea shirt.

Going for a loose ball after a Chelsea attack had broken down, Azpilicueta messily attempted to shut down the faster Pedro Neto, seeming to be first the ball, the defender bizarrely turned his attention to the man. Eventually fouling Neto but the official playing advantage as Willy Boly played in Rayan Ait-Nouri who fortunately blasted over.

It was only one of several recent errors in judgement from the club captain which has brought his growing frailties into sharp focus. Deciding to grab onto Bukayo Saka against Arsenal, giving away a penalty that sealed a defeat. The lapse in concentration at Goodison Park that directly led to Richarlison's winner. But these are not isolated, nor can they be easily dismissed.

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Azpilicueta has so often during his Chelsea career set the standards for his teammates. The level of precision, ruggedness and determination to maintain his spot in multiple formations under different coaches. But now his errors are symbolising something else, a slow crawl towards the end of a testing season, and one that should herald a much-needed squad overhaul under new ownership.

Thomas Tuchel's decision at the interval on Saturday to switch Reece James into the back-three, moving Azpilicueta instead to right wingback felt more like an act to mitigate the damage, as in the first half, Wolves' speed was overwhelming the experienced defender, leaving gaps that Wolves should've made more of.

In turn, this alteration limits one of Chelsea's most