Barcelona defender very clear about his future amidst exit speculation – ‘Yes, of course’ | OneFootball

Andreas Christensen has endured a difficult season so far at FC Barcelona, having been sidelined since August due to an ankle injury.

Having opted for conservative treatment initially, the 28-year-old Danish international recently underwent surgery and his return to action is still some way away.

Amidst all this, there has been some speculation about his future as reports suggested that manager Hansi Flick no longer sees Christensen as a part of his plans at Barça.

As such, it was claimed that Barcelona will look to sell the former Chelsea man, whose contract expires in 2026.

Christensen clarifies future situation

However, speaking in an interview with TV Sport 2 (h/t SPORT), Christensen has made it abundantly clear that he intends to stay at Barcelona and is not thinking about an exit despite the rumours and speculations.

“You can’t do anything but smile when you hear about it,” explained Christensen, talking about these reports.

“I can only talk about the conversations I have had with the club and so far they have only told me to recover well and that they are looking forward to my return,” he further remarked.

No plans to leave. (Photo by Eric Alonso/Getty Images)

“If I will stay at Barcelona? Yes, of course,” added Christensen, who at 28 is under contract until June 2026.

On competition for places

Christensen, once he returns, will find it hard to regain his place in the starting XI given that the tandem of Inigo Martinez and Pau Cubarsi has performed extremely well while Ronald Araujo is also on the verge of making a comeback.

“I approach it with the attitude that it will be difficult. They’ve done incredibly well and it’s up to me to beat them. The ultimate goal is to come back and play as many games as possible, but it will be difficult,” he admitted.

The Danish international can also play as a defensive midfielder, a position that Xavi Hernandez used him in last season.

Although he has not had the chance to play in this role under Hansi Flick – having only played 26 minutes in the first La Liga match against Valencia at Mestalla (1-2) – he believes he could be a good alternative to Marc Casado in this position.

“I haven’t spoken to him (Flick) about tactical matters for a while, but I played six games in pre-season. It could well be an option; but I think I’ll mainly play as a central defender. That’s also where I prefer to play,” he said.