Chelsea manager Frank Lampard is reportedly interested in signing RB Leipzig’s highly-rated centre-back Dayot Upamecano.
The Blues need a few additions to their squad to challenge the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool at the top of the Premier League.
Mirror Football have reported that the Premier League side could try to sign the 21-year-old defender in the summer, as Lampard is reportedly a fan of Upamecano.
The French Under-21 defender has been with the German club since 2017, having joined from Red Bull Salzburg.
Upamecano’s suitors — which include Arsenal — will be buoyed by the fact that the Frenchman’s contract expires in the summer of 2021. Upamecano has been an integral part of the German side’s defence over the last few seasons, making just over 100 appearances for the club after signing for them in 2017.
Dayot Upamecano – Good fit under Frank Lampard?
Frank Lampard’s Chelsea side have played exciting football and have been fun to watch going forward, but their defence has been poor this season.
The Blues have let in 37 goals in 27 games in the league this season, which is not good enough for a team wanting to challenge for the title.
Antonio Rudiger’s return from injury has sort of steadied the ship, but the ones beside him in defence have not been consistent. Lampard has used Kurt Zouma, Andreas Christensen as well as youngster Fikayo Tomori at the back, but none of three have impressed consistently.
Dayot Upamecano could be a wonderful signing for Chelsea as he is a player with loads of potential and quality. The classy centre-back has the technique and vision to pick out passes from the back, while also being solid defensively.
The Frenchman averages 72.2 passes per game in the Bundesliga this season, with a pass completion rate of 88.9%. He averages a whopping 5.8 long balls per game in the German league this season.
Upamecano is a strong and powerful defender as well, averaging 2.3 tackles and 3.4 clearances per game in the league this season. He is an all-round player who could forge a good partnership with Rudiger at the back, and significantly improve the Chelsea defence in the 2020-21 season.
