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After losing out to Bayern Munich on RB Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano, Chelsea will keep its focus on acquiring a central defender — and maybe not David Alaba.
As was previously reported, Chelsea might have decided to back away from Alaba because of his wages, but an interesting part of Daily Telegraph reporter Matt Law’s tweet below is that Alaba might also be pushing to play defensive midfield — in addition to demanding a hefty salary.
Another fascinating part of the tweet was that Chelsea’s scouts were not “fully convinced” of Upamecano’s quality:
Chelsea were unquestionably interested in Upamenco but I'm told their scouts weren't fully convinced. Suspect they weren't keen enough to get into a bidding war over his wages. As reported this week, Alaba wages currently too high and I'm also told he would like to play def mid
— Matt Law (@Matt_Law_DT) February 13, 2021
With Upamecano out of the mix and the club apparently waking away from Alaba, Chelsea might be looking to the Bundesliga for a striker: Borussia Dortmund phenom Erling Haaland.
Clear that Chelsea will prioritise central defender and a striker in the summer. The interest in Haaland dates back to his RB Slazburg days but his wages and Raiola are a problem...not just for Chelsea.
— Matt Law (@Matt_Law_DT) February 13, 2021
Haaland, of course, is likely to be courted by every major club on Earth should BVB not qualify for the Champions League. Chelsea does have the financial wherewithal to make such an acquisition happen and also could be inclined to meet any wage demands by Haaland given his age (20) and vast potential.