Kaan Kurt in action for Gladbach II (Getty Images)
According to a report from The Sun, Chelsea are keeping an eye on Borussia Monchengladbach youngster Kaan Kurt. But they face competition from rivals Arsenal in the 18-year-old defender’s pursuit.
Kurt, a full-back, spent his formative years at the academies of TV Asberg, FC Schalke and MSV Duisburg before he signed up with the Gladbach youth setup in 2014. Since joining, the youngster has progressed rapidly through the ranks, breaking into the club’s U19 setup last season.
The ongoing campaign has seen Kurt become a regular member of the Borussia Monchengladbach II side. So far, he has made 36 appearances for the club’s U19 side, assisting three goals.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have had a solid campaign under Frank Lampard. In what is the former midfielder’s first season in charge at the club, he managed to lead them to fourth place in the Premier League table prior to season suspension.
What has been more impressive is that Lampard has done so without any major signings, apart from the arrival of Christian Pulisic, who has been injured for large chunks of the campaign. But for him to build a team capable of bridging the gap on the top two of the Premier League, the squad needs to be strengthened further this summer.
A new centre-forward is the need of the hour for Chelsea but strengthening the full-back department would also be a wise move by the club. On the left-hand side, neither Marcos Alonso nor Emerson Palmieri has been able to nail down the spot.
At right-back, the Blues have veteran Cesar Azpilicueta, along with one of the breakout stars of the campaign in Reece James. However, with Azpilicueta not getting any younger, it would serve well for Chelsea to put a succession plan in place. To that end, signing Kaan Kurt would be a good move for the Londoners.
The 18-year-old’s rapid progression through the ranks at Gladbach is a clear evidence of the potential he possesses. Furthermore, the fact that he can play at right-back as well as at left-back would make him a great asset for Chelsea. He would be able to provide cover at both flanks, before eventually growing to compete with Reece James once Azpilicueta’s time is up.
Lampard, so far in his time at Chelsea, has shown that he isn’t shy of promoting youngsters into the first-team. And adding Kurt to the exciting bunch of young talent at the Stamford Bridge would be a step in the right direction for the Blues.
Chelsea are in need of adding depth to the full-back department, with one of the two left-backs likely to be sold, while Azpilicueta is not getting any younger. Hence, signing Kaan Kurt from Borussia Monchengladbach would provide cover in both positions for the Blues. And with experience, the 18-year-old can become a key player for Lampard & co.
