Chelsea interested in Amos Pieper

Chelsea are reportedly eyeing a free transfer raid for Arminia Bielefeld defender Amos Pieper as they look to bolster their defence in the summer.

According to the Mirror (h/t Les Transferts), Chelsea have set their sights on a move for Arminia Bielefeld’s German centre-baack Amos Pieper ahead of the upcoming transfer window.

Pieper came through the youth ranks at Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund but never made a senior appearance for them. The centre-back left the Black and Yellows for Arminia Bielefeld in January 2019 and has since grown into a mainstay for the German minnows. 

Pieper has made 100 appearances for Arminia, helping them win promotion to the Bundesliga during the 2019/20 season. Since then, he has been a regular in the German top flight, although Die Arminen could be headed for relegation this term, as they find themselves second from bottom in the league table with three games left.

Irrespective of how the season ends for Arminia, Pieper could be on his way out of the club at the end of the season, as his contract with the German outfit stands to expire in June. And Chelsea have taken note of the situation and are considering signing him on a free transfer in the summer.

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Chelsea will need at least two new centre-backs in the summer transfer window as they are set to lose Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen. The defensive duo are out of contract at the end of the season and are bound for La Liga, with Rudiger agreeing a four-year deal with Real Madrid and Christensen set to join their arch-rivals Barcelona.

Furthermore, Cesar Azpilicueta could also be on his way out amid links to Barcelona, which would leave Thomas Tuchel’s side short on options in the defensive department. To that end, Chelsea have been linked with a host of centre-backs, with Jules Kounde back on their radars.

In addition, the west London giants are also plotting to rival Manchester City and Manchester United for the signing of Pau Torres. While both defenders would be top additions, they could cost significant money in the summer, which could make things tricky as it remains to be seen whether Chelsea’s new owners would be willing to splash the cash.

So, someone like Pieper could be a cost-effective addition for Chelsea. The 24-year-old has gotten a couple of years of Bundesliga football under his belt and can be a valuable squad option at Stamford Bridge, where he can develop further under Tuchel. It will be interesting to see whether Chelsea press ahead with their interest in Pieper come summer.