Chelsea to battle Arsenal for this Bundesliga ace with £50m release clause

Frank Lampard is keen on RB Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard is keen to fend off interest from Arsenal for Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano, according to The Mirror (h/t The Sun).

The young Frenchman, who joined from sister club RB Salzburg in 2017, has established himself as a lynchpin in Julian Nagelsmmann’s back four. Still only 21, he has made 101 appearances for the Germans and has scored three goals.

Speaking to RMC Sport (h/t The Sun), the player revealed that he will consult with his parents and agents before making a decision.

“There are several clubs that want me.”

Arch-rivals Arsenal are also keen on the defender, who has a release clause of £50million. Lampard’s side has failed to deliver defensively this season and have struggled to maintain clean sheets.

The Blues manager must address this issue in the summer and the Frenchman would be the ideal candidate to partner Antonio Rudiger in the defence.

The report also goes on to state that Upamecano is interested in making a move to England.

Chelsea could sell as many as eight stars this season, one among them defender Kurt Zouma. The Blues are currently fourth in the table and will need to have a deep enough squad if they qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

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The Blues are also linked with a move for Upamecano’s teammate Timo Werner while also maintaining interest in Ben Chilwell, Jadon Sancho and Jan Oblak.