Chelsea have reportedly made contact with Ligue 1 outfit RC Strasbourg over the possibility of signing 20-year-old centre-back Mohamed Simakan.

According to a report from Le10 Sport, Strasbourg defender Mohamed Simakan has popped up on the radars of Premier League heavyweights Chelsea, who have already made an approach to the Ligue 1 side to test the waters for a possible transfer.

Simakan has been with Strasbourg since 2017 and went on to make his first-team debut for the club in 2019. Since then, the 20-year-old has grown in stature, establishing himself as an ever-present figure at the back for the French side over the past year.

Indeed, Simakan has started each of Strasbourg’s 17 Ligue 1 matches this season, contributing with a goal and an assist. And, even though the club is in 17th place in the table, the 20-year-old has emerged with a lot of credit and is regarded as one of the most promising young defenders in the country.

AC Milan had been heavily interested in signing Simakan in the summer but had a €14 million (€12 million plus €2 million in bonuses) offer rejected by Strasbourg. The Rossoneri are believed to be still interested in the Frenchman while OGC Nice are also said to have made an approach for him recently.

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Now, Chelsea also have seemingly entered the race for the 20-year-old Simakan. The Blues strengthened their defensive unit with the signing of Thiago Silva on a free transfer this past summer. The Brazilian has been very solid so far in his short time at the club, forging a strong partnership with Kurt Zouma.

However, there are doubts surrounding the future of Antonio Rudiger and Silva, despite impressing a great deal, is 36 years old. Furthermore, Andreas Christensen has been poor in his few appearances this term. So, bolstering the defensive unit either in January or at the end of the season would be a sensible move on the part of Frank Lampard.

Simakan, to that end, has emerged as a viable target for the west London giants. To that end, they have already made contact with Strasbourg, although they are yet to submit a formal offer. It is claimed that the Ligue 1 club would only entertain offers in excess of €15 million.

Simakan is contracted with Strasbourg till the summer of 2023. However, with a number of clubs interested, he could be on his way out this month. It, however, remains to be seen if Chelsea’s interest in the midfielder translates to something substantial in the coming weeks.

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