Chelsea are lining up a move for Bayer Leverkusen defender Jeremie Frimpong as a possible replacement for injured skipper Reece James, according to Spanish outlet Fichajes.
The online news portal claims that Leverkusen do not want to sell the Netherlands international unless they receive a huge offer from an interested club before Friday’s deadline.
Frimpong has established himself as one of the best right-backs in the Bundesliga since moving to Xabi Alonso’s side from Celtic in 2021. He has racked up 98 appearances, scored 13 goals, and provided 21 assists across all competitions.
The 22-year-old, who is a key player for Alonso, helped the club to the semi-finals of last season’s UEFA Europa League but lost 1-0 on aggregate to AS Roma. He featured in 48 games and made 20 goal contributions in all competitions as Leverkusen finished 6th in the Bundesliga table.
Frimpong is attracting interest from several clubs this summer including Arsenal and Manchester United but Chelsea are keen on securing his signature before the window closes on September 1, as per the report.
He has already featured in all three games for Leverkusen in the new season and made three goal contributions.
The injury to James has forced Chelsea back into the transfer market for a right-back and Frimpong has emerged as a serious target.
Defensive reinforcement
According to Fichajes, several European clubs are also interested in signing Frimpong and Leverkusen believe this could lead to a bidding war for the talented right-back.
The Bundesliga side would like to sell to the highest bid due to their financial situation. Chelsea will need to act fast if they want to wrap up a deal for Frimpong this summer with just few days left in the window.
James is expected to be out for several weeks and would need time to get back to full fitness when he returns, having been hampered by injuries during his time at the cub.
Injuries limited the 23-year-old to just 24 appearances last season and subsequently missed the World Cup after suffering a knee injury.
His injury records are hampering his chances of being a regular for Chelsea and with several teams competing for a top-four place, Mauricio Pochettino has no choice but to beef up his squad in bid to compete at the highest level.
Frimpong is valued at £34m by Transfermarkt and would be an excellent signing for Chelsea if they could land him this summer.
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