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Chelsea tipped to sign 'immense' Champions League star who Arsenal wanted to buy
Chelsea have been backed to make a move for RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano.
Dayot Upamecano shows off skills for RB Leipzig
Chelsea "could do with" having RB Leipzig centre-back Dayot Upamecano in their backline, according to former Blues defender Jason Cundy. Upamecano starred for Leipzig as they beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 in their Champions League quarter-final on Thursday. The Frenchman has previously attracted transfer interest from Arsenal but recently signed a new contract until 2023.
Upamecano has earned huge praise since Thursday's victory and Cundy has joined the list of those raving about the 21-year-old.
And the pundit believes he would be a good signing for Chelsea, who are in the market for defenders this summer.
"Largely, you look at the two squads, they went into [the quarter-final] as second-favourites, especially losing Timo Werner as well," Cundy said on talkSPORT.
"You've got some big names, some household names in football in the Atleti team but I have to say, the boy at the back, Upamecano, what a performance.
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"I was looking at him thinking, as the game was developing, 'this was the first time I've had a close look at your game' and I was watching him and he was just immense.
"I was thinking: 'Chelsea could do with him'.
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"He's 21 years of age, it's the best performance I've seen of a young centre-half in a very, very long time."
Upamecano has spent the last three years at Leipzig and has made 112 appearances for the Bundesliga side.
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He is yet to be capped by the senior France side but has played for the youth teams from under-16s up until under-21 level.
Former Chelsea player-manager Ruud Gullit instead thinks Manchester United should try to sign the defender.
Gullit claims that is the area of the pitch Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must improve first.
"[What] Was the first thing [Jurgen] Klopp did with Liverpool?" Gullit told beIN SPORTS.
"He bought a good defence. He bought a goalkeeper and good defenders because everything starts there.
"And I think Man United should start there as well. And I think I saw something amazing with Leipzig and Dayot Upamecano.
"He was outstanding [against Atletico Madrid]. He can play football, he's hard in the tackle. Defence is what I would start if I was Man Utd."
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