Chelsea transfer news: Blues join Arsenal in race to sign Dayot Upamecano for £50m

Frank Lampard's Chelsea have reportedly joined the race alongside Arsenal for the signature of Dayot Upamecano from RB Leipzig. The Chelsea transfer news surrounding a defender has amplified over the past few weeks with Lampard eager to solidify a backline that has already conceded 40 goals in the Premier League this term. It is reported that the Dayot Upamecano transfer will set Chelsea back nearly £50 million if a deal with the Bundesliga side is agreed.

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Chelsea transfer news: Dayot Upamecano transfer rumours

The Chelsea transfer news according to The Athletic claims that that the Blues are looking to hijack Arsenal's move for a Dayot Upamecano transfer. Although Mikel Arteta's Arsenal remain in pole position for a Dayot Upamecano transfer to the Emirates, Chelsea are hoping to swoop in for the RB Leipzig star after having negotiated a deal for the club's star forward Timo Werner last week. Werner was strongly linked with a move to Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool in the summer but the Blues managed to hijack a move for the prolific goalscorer and lure the 24-year-old to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea are planning another raid on the Bundesliga side with the Dayot Upamecano transfer and the player is valued at a reported £50m. Upamecano's current deal with RB Leipzig runs out in the summer of 2021.

Chelsea transfer news: How Dayot Upamecano fits in Frank Lampard's plans

Although Frank Lampard's Chelsea have managed to score goals on a regular basis this season, there has been a huge concern in defence. Antonio Rudiger is likely to be Lampard's first-choice centre back for the near future but Andreas Christensen, Kurt Zouma and Fikayo Tomori have been unable to nail a starting berth alongside the German. Lampard will be hoping that Dayot Upamecano wil be the man to fix his defensive issues due to his strength and ability to read the game. Upamecano will also add some much-needed physicality to the Chelsea backline, with Lampard claiming that his defenders are bullied too easily in the box. Chelsea are currently in fourth place on the Premier League table but have the worst defensive record of the top six. 

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Chelsea transfer news: Dayot Upamecano stats

Dayot Upamecano has made 34 appearances for RB Leipzig this season across all competitions. The French defender has aided RB Leipzig to a third-place finish on the Bundesliga table as Julian Nagelsmann's side boast the second-best defensive record in the German top flight. The 21-year-old Dayot Upamecano is highly rated by a number of top clubs in Europe as Bayern Munich and Barcelona are also showing a keen interest in signing the centre-back, according to reports. 

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Image Credits - AP / Frank Lampard Instagram