Chelsea have £5m bid rejected for Marseille star

The Sun reports that Marseille have rejected a £5 million bid from Chelsea for defender Cesar Azpilicueta.

The French giants have found themselves in a difficult financial situation and they now need to sell several first team regulars in order to balance the books.

Spanish defender Cesar Azpilicueta is widely tipped to be the first high-profile player to leave Velodrome, with Chelsea very serious in their attempts to lure the full-back to Stamford Bridge.

The Sun claims that Marseille have rejected a £5 million bid for the 22-year-old, as they hold out for £8 million.

Given that the Blues are really short of cover at right-back and that Azpilicueta is regarded as one of the most talented full-backs in Europe, there is every chance that the two clubs will soon reach an agreement over the transfer fee.

After impressing in his first three seasons at Osasuna, the youngster made a €6 million switch to Marseille in the summer of 2010 and has since amassed 45 Ligue 1 appearances for OM.