Boost for Chelsea as Liverpool shift focus away from Dayot Upamecano
Chelsea appear to have gained an advantage in the pursuit of RB Leipzig star Dayot Upamecano as Liverpool have shifted their focus elsewhere.
According to Bild’s Christopher Falk (h/t Express), Liverpool, who were also keen on the Frenchman, have shifted their attention to his defensive partner Ibrahima Konate.
Also from France, Konate is a year younger than Upamecano and has formed an excellent partnership with his much-hyped countryman. In fact, both players are not that different when it comes to their skill set.
According to Melissa Reddy of The Independent, Liverpool dropped out of the race for another Chelsea target, David Alaba thanks to the Austrian’s susceptibility in the air.
Konate, on the other hand, is an aerial colossus and has won twice as many headers as Upamecano. He certainly fits their requirement.
This shift in focus will see Chelsea face less competition when it comes to Upamecano. The 22-year-old has attracted attention from a number of top clubs and will be hot property come the summer.
Upamecano’s relatively modest €42m release clause will become active this summer. Landing a player of his potential for such a price is nothing short of a steal.
A defensive overhaul could be on the cards at Chelsea this summer. Thiago Silva is 36 while the futures of Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger, and Fikayo Tomori are far from assured.
With Kurt Zouma the only dependable long-term option available, the Blues may need to dip into the market once again. Signing Upamecano will see us land a long-term prospect who has the ability to grow into one of the best in the business.
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Chelsea are serious about landing the 22-year-old and have also sounded out their intentions to his representatives. Having successfully brought in Kai Havertz and Timo Werner, the Blues can make it a hattrick to big buys from the Bundesliga come this summer.
