After this summer, comparing previous transfer fees to current ones will be about as useful as comparing French toast to Donald Trump’s post-truth politics. Liverpool once picking up Luis Suarez for £22.8million has little relevance in a world where his former forward partner Neymar costs nearly ten times that sum and gets a nation state to pay for it.
But even in the context of summer 2012, back when Fernando Torres was still the most expensive signing in Premier League history, Chelsea’s £7million swoop for relative unknown Cesar Azpilicueta, taking place five years ago today, was an absolute steal. In fact, five seasons and a whole host of trophies later, pound-for-pound, it might just be the smartest money the reigning Premier League champions have ever spent.
World-class is an interpretable term; it means different things to different people. But if we accept the definition as a player who would get into any team in the world, it’s hard to think of one that couldn’t find space for the 19-cap international.
He’d certainly get into any back three, combining the duties of centre-half and full-back superbly in the outside channel, amid an era in which three-man defences are back on the rise, and he’d certainly get into any matchday squad in the world. No club has a player of such immense defensive quality who has shown such miraculous consistency in both full-back positions and the heart of defence throughout the last five years.
Maybe the first ever back-to-back Champions League winners Real Madrid would pass on him for their starting XI but even so, Azpilicueta is perfect for when more sturdy and reliable options are required over the flying, forward-thinking styles of Dani Carvajal and Marcelo.
And even if Azpilicueta isn’t greater individually than some of the other defensive talents at Europe’s top clubs, his versatility, dependability and selfless style, always seemingly improving the players around him and always working as a cog within a team, makes the Spaniard an almost irresistible asset.
The underlying, fundamental factor behind that versatility is quite simply Azpilicueta’s brilliance as a defender, in the purest sense of the word. Forget about physicality or positions; in terms of tackling technique, reading the game and timing when he attacks the ball, the Spaniard is second to none.
That’s exactly how Gary Neville felt about his performances in November 2014, when Azpilicueta took the role of left-back – even keeping Filipe Luis, one of the best No.3s in the world, out of the team – as Chelsea charged to the title under Jose Mourinho.
“For technical defending, not making a mistake, not being in the wrong position, not getting caught out… I don’t see him making a mistake. And I have to say the Chelsea defenders aren’t far behind him; Gary Cahill, John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic.
“But Azpilicueta, when I watch him, he’s as near to perfect as possible when it comes to defending; he’s immaculate.”
Azpilicueta was once again crucial as the Blues lifted the Premier League crown last term as well, but the vast differences in his duties shows how talented a player he truly is. Under Mourinho, Azpilicueta’s ultimate challenge, apart from being a right-footed left-back, was to protect the flank almost single-handed, providing the platform for Eden Hazard to operate more freely by unshackling him from his defensive duties.
Under Antonio Conte, on the other hand, Azpilicueta was on the opposite side of Chelsea’s imperious back three, a role that not only required expert defensive instincts while setting into a system largely alien to the west London club but also significant contributions on the ball – taking advantage of the freedom 3-4-3 allows for the defenders to step into midfield.
Although David Luiz was the natural candidate on paper as a part-time midfielder, it was Azpilicueta who made the most passes of any Premier League player and the most passes in the opposition half of any defender last season, prior to the final weekend.
They weren’t simply sideways passes either; only two defenders recorded more assists than the 5 foot 10 Chelsea man last season, while he made the most key passes of any centre-half.
“It is an amazing achievement to go through the season playing every single game. It’s tough. It’s reliability you want from your defenders. He is reliable. If there is a left-back, left wing-back, right-back or man-marking job, he’ll do it.
“Technically, he is the best defender in the league. He has been for two or three seasons. He does most things very well.”
And yet, barring Gary Neville, who once again sung Azpilicueta’s praises at the end of last season, we rarely hear the defender being discussed in the bracket of world-class – in fact, we rarely hear him being discussed at all.
While that’s in many senses unfair and unjustified, it’s also a testament to the kind of player Azpilicueta is; unsung, professional, sacrificial and simple yet effective. He’s taken for granted because of how consistently effective he is, just as he’s rarely a talking point because there are so few opportunities to criticise him.
Sir Alex Ferguson once said transfer fees should always be judged when a player leaves a club; when there’s true evidence of whether it’s value for money, based on their performances and the changes in the transfer market. Once again, this summer has made all the dealings previous practically incomparable. But if I had the choice between one Neymar at £198million or a squad of 28 Cesar Azpilicuetas at £7million apiece, I know which one I’d take.
It may be boringly functional at times but regardless of the opponent and the positions those 28 placed in, Azpilicueta FC would always get the job done.