Chelsea join Man Utd in Dayot Upamecano transfer hunt with Thomas Tuchel huge fan of RB Leipzig's £38m defender

CHELSEA are reportedly ready to battle Manchester United for the signing of Dayot Upamecano.

Thomas Tuchel's arrival has pushed the Blues to consider the RB Leipzig defender.

According to Bild, the German has identified the centre of his defence as a key area for an upgrade.

And his abilities have been talked up to France international Upamecano by his Les Bleus colleagues at Paris Saint-Germain.

Tuchel was sacked by the Ligue 1 side in December despite winning two league titles in the French capital.

From his time in Paris, the 47-year-old speaks fluent French and this is seen as another factor that could help persuade Upamecano.

The 22-year-old has impressed in three-and-a-half years at Leipzig but is widely tipped to move in the summer.

Much of that time was spent with Timo Werner leading the Bundesliga club's line, and his presence in West London could help along the deal.

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After he signed a new contract to 2023 last summer, a release clause worth £38million is thought to activate at the end of the season.

Roman Abramovich is expected to back Tuchel in the summer market and such a price would not be an issue.

The new coach took training for the first time on Tuesday evening after replacing Frank Lampard.

Chelsea are also reportedly formulating a mega bid for Borussia Dortmund striker Erling Haaland.

A number of other clubs are said to be monitoring Upamecano.

Manchester United and Liverpool have both been linked, amid fierce interest from Bayern Munich.

The Red Devils neared a deal for the centre-back as a 16-year-old and now Bayern are reportedly pushing hard for a switch this summer.

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