The best in the world - Azpilicueta says Chelsea signs the best left back

Former Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta has revealed his belief that the club signed "the best left-back in the world" in Filipe Luis, only to see him depart after a brief and underwhelming spell at Stamford Bridge.

Azpilicueta, a club legend who made over 500 appearances in nearly 12 years, won every major trophy available during his time in West London.

He played alongside defensive greats like John Terry and Thiago Silva.

The Spaniard's versatility was a key asset, particularly when Jose Mourinho shifted him to centre-back following the arrival of Filipe Luis ahead of the 2014/15 season.

Despite Luis's high-profile transfer from Atletico Madrid, the Brazilian international struggled for consistent game time, making just 26 appearances before returning to his former club.

However, Azpilicueta admitted the signing put him under immense pressure, as he held his new teammate in the highest regard.

"Then Filipe Luis joined Chelsea, which was a… maybe the best left-back at the moment," Azpilicueta told Flashscore.

He added, "That gave me competition, that gave me a way of helping the team and bringing something different and I had to step up. I played alongside John Terry on the left side, which was for me like a masterpiece of learning how to defend."

Despite the challenge from Luis, Azpilicueta successfully made the left-back position his own for several years before the eventual arrivals of Marcos Alonso and Ben Chilwell saw him return to roles at right-back and in central defence.

Since hanging up his boots, Filipe Luis has transitioned into management and is currently at the helm of Flamengo's youth setup in Brazil.

He has already tasted success against his former club, masterminding a victory over the Blues during the Club World Cup.

His early promise as a coach has led to high praise, with Brazilian legend Zico even tipping Luis for a potential return to Stamford Bridge as manager one day.