Chelsea have been alerted to the potential availability of Dayot Upamecano, who could be allowed to leave if Bayern Munich sign Matthijs de Ligt.
According to 90 Min, Chelsea could consider a swoop for Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano should he be made available for a transfer in the ongoing window. The Frenchman could seek an exit from the Allianz Arena this summer in light of the Bavarian giants’ pursuit of Matthijs de Ligt.
Chelsea are in the market for three new central defenders this summer as they look to revamp their beleaguered defensive unit. Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger have signed for Barcelona and Real Madrid, respectively while Cesar Azpilicueta could also be set to sign for Barcelona imminently. On top of that, the Blues did not replace Kurt Zouma who was sold last summer.
It has left them with Trevoh Chalobah, Malang Sarr and an ageing Thiago Silva as options in central defence. Considering manager Thomas Tuchel prefers to operate with a three-man defensive unit, it is imperative that there is adequate depth in the department. To that end, the Blues must sign at least two, if not three, defenders this summer.
A deal for Nathan Ake is close to being completed, but Chelsea’s pursuit of Jules Kounde has not progressed as planned for a while now. The west London club had also shown a serious interest in wantaway Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt. However, Bayern Munich look poised to beat Tuchel’s side to the Dutchman’s signing.
While that comes as a huge blow for Chelsea, it also has potentially unlocked another option for the Blues as they could now raid Die Roten for Dayot Upamecano should the German champions sign de Ligt.
The 23-year-old Frenchman joined Bayern Munich only last summer from RB Leipzig after the Bavarians triggered his €42.5 million release clause. However, he did not have the most assured of beginnings at the Allianz Arena. With de Ligt likely to arrive, he could become the first-choice defender alongside Lucas Hernandez, pushing Upamecano down the pecking order.
With a spot in the France squad for the World Cup 2022 on the line, Upamecano cannot afford to warm the benches and might look for an opportunity elsewhere. And Chelsea could enter the picture at this point as they would be very interested in signing the towering Frenchman should he become available for a transfer.
Bayern Munich could also be receptive to offers of around €50 million for Upamecano as it would go a long way in helping them fund the move for de Ligt, with the Dutchman likely to cost them close to €90 million. At this stage, there are a lot of ifs and buts involved in this story. But should Upamecano be made available, expect Chelsea to go after the 23-year-old with full intent.
