Chelsea must step up pursuit of Dayot Upamecano

Despite significant progress on the defensive end this year, Chelsea still have a lot of work to do before they can move to the next level.

Things are not as comically atrocious as they were last year, with center-back Thiago Silva and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy helping the cause since joining the club this summer, but there is still a feeling the Blues can improve. in a significative way.

The center-back is probably the most important position Chelsea need to focus on. Silva, who has been heralded as the savior of that backline, is 36 and is no longer physically able to play week after week.

Taking advantage of the short term with Silva is good, but Chelsea need to find a long-term solution to their struggles at the back, and a move for Dayot Upamecano from RB Leipzig is the perfect way to do just that.

Chelsea are known for being on the hunt for an established young center-back who can make an immediate impact and keep the strong going for the next decade, but the problem is, there aren’t too many of them.

Big names like Juventus’ Matthijs de Ligt and Manchester City’s Ruben Dias are obviously not available, but the ones that could be signed usually have huge prices. Two examples are Seville’s Jules Kounde and Villarreal’s Pau Torres, both expected to cost over £ 60million. Big yikes.

However, there is one exception to the trend, and that is Upamecano.

The 22-year-old Frenchman, who is approaching 200 senior appearances in both Germany and Austria, is widely regarded as one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga, and although that reputation usually pays a huge price, the release clause £ 40million Upamecano means it’s incredibly affordable on the top sides.

It’s that kind of value for money that has piqued the interest of Real Madrid, Manchester United and a number of other top teams, many of whom have recognized the possibility of snagging a potential future superstar for. a small fee.

No one needs this new defender as much as Chelsea, who must do whatever they can to make their way to the front of the queue for Upamecano’s signing.

You’ll be hard pressed to find anyone who doubts Upamecano has what it takes to be one of the best defenders in the world. Chelsea haven’t had a superstar like this in the back since John Terry, and it’s time to sort that out.

It almost sounds a little too good to be true, and to some extent it is. While most would agree that Chelsea need a better defender immediately, Upamecano is not there yet.

He can play a little too aggressively at times, rushing for the ball at times when he really shouldn’t be and instead relying on his supreme recovery speed to save the day. It’s a technique that doesn’t lead to too many goals, but it’s a bit too risky for a team in Chelsea’s precarious defensive position.

This is something that is extremely common among young defenders and from which Upamecano will almost certainly develop. You can already see steady progress in his game, but he’s obviously not the finished article yet, and that’s good.

What Upamecano brings is strong current ability and unfathomable potential, and Chelsea should be everywhere. It is as close to a guaranteed long term solution as you are likely to find.

Good deals like this don’t happen too often – Juventus paid £ 67.5million for De Ligt who only saw him play 77 Eredivisie games – and for a side that just lost £ 200million in signings, Chelsea need all the good deals. can get.

If Chelsea let Upamecano pass, they will only see him fight one of their rivals and strengthen their defense for the next ten years. It’s a deal the Blues need to end immediately.

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