Report: Cesar Azpilicueta undergoes medical to complete Atletico Madrid switch

Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta is reportedly in Madrid finalising his move to Atletico by undergoing a medical.

The experienced defender was initially expected to join Inter after reaching an agreement with the Serie A club.

However, Atletico made a late move to entice Azpilicueta back to Spain and successfully persuaded him to join the Wanda Metropolitano instead.

Azpilicueta is set to sign a two-year contract with Atletico, and he is currently undergoing medical tests in Madrid before completing his departure from Chelsea.

The London club have granted him a free transfer as a gesture of respect for the 33-year-old, who has been with the team since 2012 and holds the record for the most appearances by an overseas player.

Last year, Azpilicueta was close to returning to Spain when Barcelona expressed interest in signing him. However, he chose to remain at Chelsea to help guide the team through the transition to the BlueCo ownership era.

With limited playing time now, Azpilicueta has been given permission to leave the club, and he has selected Atletico as his new destination.

Chelsea have already prepared for his departure by acquiring right-back Malo Gusto from Lyon in January, and the return of Levi Colwill ensures that the team won't be caught short in the center-back position.

Azpilicueta will leave Chelsea with an impressive record of 508 appearances, ranking him sixth on the club's all-time appearance list, along with a collection of nine trophies.