Why Chelsea need to sign Dayot Upamecano at the earliest
According to The Guardian, Chelsea are one of several clubs interested in RB Leipzig starlet Dayot Upamecano. The defender’s form has attracted plenty of interest from elite clubs but Leipzig have been reluctant to let him go. However, the club have accepted that he will leave but they will only sanction an exit next summer.
Chelsea need immediate defensive reinforcements
It is safe to say that Chelsea are going through a full-blown mid-season crisis. From being touted as title challengers to slipping into 9th place, Frank Lampard’s men have won just one of their last five league games and that too against a lowly Fulham.
One of their problems has been the defence, which previously looked solid but is now leaking goals and at a rapid rate. The duo of Kurt Zouma and Thiago Silva is a good one but it’s clear that they need something more than that. Silva is ageing and a replacement may be necessary sooner rather than later.
The likes of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen haven’t exactly been featuring much either. Plus Fikayo Tomori has departed the club for a loan spell at AC Milan. That makes the acquisition of a young and promising defender a priority.
Upamecano should be brought in as soon as possible
Chelsea will be making no mistake in pursuing Upamecano. The centre-back was a vital part of RB Leipzig’s journey to the Champions League semi-finals last season. He showed incredible calmness that belies his age. His defending skills are well complemented by his tendency to move forward and provide that key pass to the attackers.
Upamecano can be the ideal partner for either of Silva or Zouma to shore up the defence and give the team some stability. With Manchester United, Liverpool and even Bayern Munich in the frame to sign him, the Blues would be wise to wrap up a deal for him and pip their rivals to his signature.
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The catch though is that Upamecano has a release clause of €42m which activates only after the end of this season. So, if Chelsea want the 22-year-old now, they just have to push for him. Given the crisis Chelsea find themselves in, they should move ahead of the queue and sign Upamecano this month itself.
