Borussia Dortmund have reportedly joined Manchester United and Chelsea in the race to sign English full-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace.
According to a report by The Sun, Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s list of admirers has swelled, with Borussia Dortmund interested in signing him in the summer transfer window. The 21-year-old Crystal Palace full-back, who is valued at £40 million, is also the subject of interest from Chelsea and Manchester United.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has come a long way since breaking into the first-team setup at Crystal Palace last season. This term, the young Englishman has gone on to establish himself as a mainstay in defence for the Eagles, playing all but one Premier League game.
Wan-Bissaka has also been instrumental in Palace being the most frugal side at the back among teams currently in the bottom half of the table, while also impressing with his ability to constantly create a threat in the final third. His qualities have not gone unnoticed, with the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United being linked with him recently.
At Chelsea, the usually reliable Cesar Azpilicueta has suffered a dip in form this season. Beyond the Spaniard, Davide Zappacosta has been completely out of favour with Maurizio Sarri, with the Italian defender also heavily linked with a move away from the club last month.
With Zappacosta now facing an uncertain future at Stamford Bridge, it is not surprising why Wan-Bissaka has emerged as a possible target as the 21-year-old’s addition would also help Chelsea boost their pool of homegrown players. The interest from Manchester United though, seems a bit interesting.
Antonio Valencia is reportedly set to depart from Old Trafford in the summer transfer window, having fallen out of favour with both Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. But, with Ashley Young and Diogo Dalot already being two options for the right side of the defence, it is hard to see how Wan-Bissaka will fit in the Manchester United squad.
Nevertheless, if signed, the 21-year-old can be a fine long-term addition to the first-team squad. But, Chelsea and Manchester United now have Borussia Dortmund for company.
The Bundesliga leaders currently have Achraf Hakimi and Lukasz Piszczek as right-back options. But, the future of Hakimi beyond the expiry of his two-year loan deal in 2020 is unclear, while Piszczek is in the twilight of his career, which would explain why Dortmund are considering a move for Wan-Bissaka.
If he makes his way to Signal Iduna Park, the Crystal Palace defender will be the latest player from the island nation to join the English revolution in Germany, which was kick-started by Jadon Sancho. Meanwhile, the report suggests that Wan-Bissaka has a £40 million price tag on his head, and it remains to be seen if Chelsea, United and Dortmund are open to shelling out the amount.
For now, Wan-Bissaka continues to go from strength to strength, having become an indispensable figure in Roy Hodgson’s side. As far as the summer is concerned, a transfer battle between three of the biggest clubs in the world might just be in the offing.
