Chelsea to rival Atletico Madrid for Jonathan Clauss as the Frenchman appears to be a Blues fan: Reports
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With Cesar Azpilicueta’s future at Chelsea uncertain, the Blues have decided to scout the market. There are reports from France that Chelsea are interested in signing Lens right wing-back Jonathan Clauss, and Goal’s Nizaar Kinsella has confirmed this today.
Nizaar claims that the Blues have been tracking the France international for “well over a year” and are willing to sign him this summer. Lens values the 29-year-old, who has less than a year left on his contract, at around £10 million, but he could face stiff competition from the Spanish side Atletico Madrid.
Chelsea could ‘accelerate’ a deal for Clauss once Azpilicueta’s future is determined, with Barcelona interested. Clauss would need little convincing to join the Premier League club, as he recently stated how he grew up supporting Chelsea.
“Since I was a kid, it’s Chelsea and it remains Chelsea”, he told in a recent interview. This could be some shrewd signing by Chelsea. He is available at a relatively cheap price and has picked up raved reviews from fans. This deal would certainly make a lot of sense.
The right side of defence was a weak link for Atletico Madrid last season
Atletico Madrid have been desperate for a right-sided defender since Kieran Trippier left for Newcastle United in January. While Trippier was injured earlier in the season, it became clear how important he was to Diego Simeone’s back three/five system. A situation that was exacerbated by his permanent departure.
Daniel Wass was brought in to cover Trippier’s absence from Valencia, but after injuring himself on February 6th, he saw little action for the rest of the season. Sime Vrsaljko, on the other hand, continued to raise eyebrows with his performances.
Jonathan Clauss has been mentioned as a possible replacement for Atletico. Following an outstanding season for RC Lens, the 29-year-old was recently called up to the French national squad.
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Jonathan Clauss has had a meteoric rise amidst Chelsea and Atletico Madrid transfer speculations
The Strausborg-born sensation had a solid season with Lens last season, putting in a number of impressive performances on the right side of their defence. Clauss played 40 games for the French club last season, scoring five goals and assisting on 11 occasions.
The 29-year-old has been a consistent performer in French football, with a Ligue 1 average of 1.7 tackles, 2.0 interceptions, 1.1 clearances, 1.1 shots, 2.0 key passes, 2.1 crosses, and 0.8 dribbles. The only side of his game which needs improvement is his ball distribution after making 73.3 percent of his attempted passes in top-flight football.
His career accelerated after an excellent season for Arminia Bielefeld in the 2. Bundesliga three years previously, before moving to Lens. Last season he helped Lens to a 7th-placed finish, providing 5 goals and 11 assists.
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Sujeeth Shetty
(766 Articles Published)