Chelsea are reportedly leading the chase over Borussia Dortmund to land German teen sensation Jann-Fiete Arp, who currently plies his trade for Hamburger SV.
Daily Mirror are claiming that Chelsea are leading the chase and closing in on teenage striking sensation Jann-Fiete Arp. The forward, who is currently associated with Bundesliga side Hamburger SV, is being tailed heavily by Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund. But, the Blues are leading Dortmund in the pursuit of the striker at the present moment.
Jann-Fiete Arp is a 17-year-old German striker who has progressed through the Hamburg academy setup since joining the club from SV Wahlstedt in 2010. The player has been lethal for the club’s youth side this season, with a staggering 26 goals in just 21 appearances.
And now, he is taking the Under-17 European Championship by storm representing Germany. The 17-year-old has already bagged hattricks against Bosnia and Ireland as Germany look good to reach the final, in a potential showdown against England.
.@DFB_Junioren @HSV He admires Harry Kane and has scored two hat-tricks, one in 13 minutes, at #U17EURO – meet ?? No9 Jann-Fiete Arp. https://t.co/UOo7OHTmQ2 pic.twitter.com/7RdxrooRXH
— UEFA.com (@UEFAcom) May 10, 2017
Chelsea want to bring Germany Under-17 star Jann-Fiete Arp to Stamford Bridge this summer (daily mirror) pic.twitter.com/a1ugAoCcxa
— RumorsTransfers 24/7 (@rumorstransfers) May 11, 2017
Arp is yet to make his debut for the Under-23 side at Hamburg. However, manager Markus Gisdol took the player to the club’s mid-season training camp in Dubai, when he was just 16 and the striker is much-revered by the staff within the setup.
Arp is expected to being training with the first-team next season onwards and club sporting director Jens Todt has insisted that the club wants the player to stay at HSV. Arp’s current deal runs till 2018 and Todt says that the club are keen to extend the player’s contract.
“We want to extend with him, without if and but. We all know that he has what it takes to be a Bundesliga player – and not just since yesterday.”
Borussia Dortmund are known to look for youngsters, both from within and outside the nation, with their current side boasting of several young sensations. Thomas Tuchel’s side is now tracking the 17-year-old with a view to add him to their ranks.
U17s: Germany 5-0 Bosnia. Jann-Fiete Arp with a hat-trick – he’s one to watch, having scored 26 in 21 games for HSV’s U17s & 2 in 4 for U19s
— Clark Whitney (@Mr_Bundesliga) May 4, 2017
Chelsea, on the other hand, have been keeping tabs on Arp for the past six months and the report iterates that the club is in the lead over Dortmund to land the player. The report also states that the West London club can financially outsmart Dortmund in the race for the player, if it does come down to the same.
Chelsea have already agreed a move to sign Scottish midfield sensation Billy Gilmour. But, it looks like they are not done as of yet. Arp could be tempted to be a part of the youth setup that has been dominant across various competitions and the club’s state-of-the-art facilities could also play a pivotal role in his decision.