Chelsea join Arsenal in race to sign Amar Dedic in January

Arsenal have made an approach for Red Bull Salzburg defender Amar Dedic but face stiff competition from Chelsea, according to a report from the Sun.

Dedic haș been attracting plenty of interest following a string of impressive displays for Red Bull. The Sun says Arsenal are among a host of clubs who’ve ‘made approaches’ for the versatile defender. 

However, the newspaper says Chelsea have joined the race for his signature and have been scouting the 21-year-old right back extensively. The Blues recently sent scouts to watch the player in action in the UEFA Champions League this season.

Dedic has the potential to develop into a quality Premier League defender with coaching and experience, so it’s easy to see why clubs like Arsenal and Chelsea are showing an interest.

The 21-year-old is a prodigious young talent with a bright future ahead of him and he will want to join a big club in the near future. The opportunity to play for Arsenal or Chelsea would be hard to turn down.

Although they are going through a rough patch right now, the Blues are one of the biggest clubs in Europe and they have the resources to put together a formidable squad.

Versatile

The defender is primarily a right-back but is capable of operating on the left side of the defence as well, so his versatility would be a useful asset for Mikel Arteta or Mauricio Pochettino.

As well as his defensive ability, he will help out in attack as well as Dedic has five goals and three assists to his name this season. 

Red Bull Salzburg have a track record of selling talented young players for the right price and Arsenal or Chelsea will certainly fancy their chances of signing the defender in the coming months.

There are no details about Arsenal’s ‘approach’ in the report but it seems the London clubs are showing a keen interest in signing Dedic. He is valued at around £17m by Transfermarkt but it may require more to seal a deal with the likes of Barcelona and Newcastle also named as potential suitors.  

It’s no surprise that Arsenal have made an approach for the talented young defender. They have used Ben White as a right-back but the former Brighton defender is more suited to a central role. Arteta could use a top-quality full-back and the 21-year-old Dedic would be a solid long-term investment.

Although Chelsea have Reece James at their disposal, it seems that they are keeping tabs on Dedic as a potential understudy. The England international has had his fair share of injury problems and Chelsea will need a reliable alternative.