Chelsea ready to pay £45m of £181,000-a-week to sign Bundesliga defender

Chelsea are now being linked with a high-profile defender who’s previously earned big praise in the past from John Terry.

Following on from a poor year last season by Chelsea’s defence, they’re clearly going about trying to address their backline with new signings. It’s alarming that the side conceded 74 goals across all competitions last season.

It was confirmed on Friday morning that 26-year-old centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo has signed a four-year deal with Chelsea, which will officially begin on 1 July.

Journalist Christian Falk has reported that Chelsea do hold an interest in signing Bayern Munich star Dayot Upamecano.

Falk said, as quoted by GiveMeSport: “Yes, it’s true: Chelsea would like Dayot Upamecano. It’s not really clear yet whether he’ll have a chance next year. Vincent Kompany is looking at everyone, but would Bayern let him go? That would probably cost a lot of money. At the time, Bayern paid €42.5m (£36m) to RB Leipzig.”

Upamecano, who earns £181,000-a-week (Salary Sport), has played 114 games for Bayern since moving to the Allianz Arena in 2021.

The 25-year-old centre-half has express pace and good strength, plus he’s got a great range of passing.

He didn’t have the best 2023/24 season from an individual level, even losing his starting position at times, but he’s shown in the past how high his ceiling is.

What John Terry previously said about Dayot Upamecano

Chelsea supporters will always be interested in any comments from club legend John Terry, especially when they are about central defenders.

The Blues icon is one of the greatest centre-backs of the modern era, so his previous comments on Upamecano make for very intriguing reading.

He claimed in 2023 that he massively rates the Bayern defender.

Terry said via Stephen Hendry’s YouTube account last year: “I really like Upamecano. I think he’s a very good young player, he’s someone I’d love to see in the Premier League actually.”

Despite the thumbs up from Terry last year, The Chelsea Chronicle wouldn’t like to see the Blues move for Upamecano this summer.

We’d much prefer head coach Enzo Maresca to take a proper look at his central defenders in pre-season before adding even more depth.

Tosin joins a group of centre-backs at the club that already includes the likes of Levi Colwill, Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana and Axel Disasi.