Chelsea are all set to battle it out with West Ham United for the services of 26-year-old Real Betis centre-back Luiz Felipe.
According to a report by Estadio Deportivo, Chelsea and West Ham United are both keen on having Luiz Felipe in their ranks ahead of next season. Both clubs are keen on bolstering their defence and have their eyes set on the 26-year-old Italian international, who has been in fine form of late.
Luiz Felipe came through the ranks at Brazilian club Ituano before making the move to Lazio. While he was out on loan during his first season with the Italian outfit, the 26-year-old managed to break into their first team and featured in 144 matches. He even contributed towards 7 goals.
After a successful six-year-long stint at the club, the Italian international joined Real Betis ahead of the 2022/23 season. In his first season with the club, he featured in a total of 30 matches and racked up close to 2,400 minutes.
The 26-year-old had an impressive first season and as a result of it, there is a lot of interest in his services. While he still has four years left on his deal with Real Betis, Chelsea and West Ham United are ready to prise him away from Spain.
West Ham might have won the UEFA Europa Conference League last season. But they were far from their best in the Premier League. The Hammers somehow managed to survive in the English top flight and are now keen on bolstering their defence to ensure they can do better next season.
Meanwhile, Chelsea’s major focus was on acquiring the services of Moises Caicedo. But an ACL injury to Wesley Fofana has changed their plans a touch. While they are still keen on having the Brighton star in their ranks, signing a new defender is their priority at this point in time.
With both Chelsea and West Ham United keen on having the 26-year-old in their ranks, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. Meanwhile, Real Betis have started planning for life without Felipe as they are aware of the amount of interest in his services. And recent reports have linked them with Davinson Sanchez.
Luiz Felipe is an average defender with a tendency to get sent off and so Westham can do without him . No reason to overpay .