What Thomas Tuchel must decide after Andreas Christensen's shock FA Cup final withdrawal

It was a somewhat throwaway comment from Thomas Tuchel after the FA Cup final that finally confirmed what everyone at Chelsea has known for some time: Andreas Christensen will leave the club in the summer after a decade at Stamford Bridge.

The 26-year-old will depart on a free transfer; Barcelona is his next destination. That will hurt Chelsea from both a sporting and financial perspective. During the first year of Tuchel's tenure, Christensen blossomed into the elite-level centre-back that those at the club – and even John Terry – long expected.

Renewed confidence played its part, as did the defensive structure put in place by Tuchel. Yet the leaps taken by Christensen were sizeable and noticeable – his improved ability and belief to marshall and contain the Premier League's most physical forwards shifted many supporters' perceptions.

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Standout performances were produced. The Dane started both legs of the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid and looked at ease on the right of the Chelsea back three. He didn't make the starting XI for the final against Man City but was called upon from the substitutes' bench after Thiago Silva suffered a first-half injury.

Christensen played 51 minutes in Porto under the biggest pressure. Not once did he let Chelsea down. His display – as was the case for many of his teammates – was flawless, and he deserved to lift the big-eared trophy. At that point, his long-term future very much appeared to be at Stamford Bridge despite only a year remaining on his contract.

However, talks to extend Christensen's deal did not progress at pace, and the summer transfer window came and went with no