Chelsea may sensationally hijack Newcastle’s bid to sign Kieran Trippier, it has been claimed.
The Blues are in dire need of reinforcements at full-back with first-choice substitutes Ben Chilwell and Reece James being sidelined with serious injuries.
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The Guardian reports that Thomas Tuchel is taking a possible swoop for Atletico Madrid man Trippier to resolve the issue.
The England right-back – who can also play on the left as he has often done for the national team – has been rumored to be in line with a return to the Premier League for some time.
Newcastle has been the club most consistently associated with securing a deal.
The Athletic have claimed the Magpies are confident they will sign the former Tottenham player this month.
Newcastle’s need for reinforcements is clear, with the club having the joint-worst defense in the Premier League.
And with the support of their wealthy owners, they are in a position to do what is needed to make it happen.
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But if Chelsea emerge as a serious contender, it will pose a major puzzle to the 31-year-old Trippier.
Take the money and engage in a relegation battle, or join the defending European champions and compete for the Premier League title.
Trippier has enjoyed a stellar time at Madrid, winning LaLiga last season and becoming a mainstay in the Atletico side under Diego Simeone.
Tuchel will be motivated to pursue the move with Chilwell for the rest of the season after surgery.
Meanwhile, James is out for the next two months due to a hamstring problem.
Those injuries, as well as a slew of covids, have seen Chelsea’s title challenge seriously falter in recent weeks.
One win in four has seen them leave a massive eight points behind Man City.
And tomorrow they will face Liverpool.
An alternative option for the Blues to be trippier would be to recall Emerson Palmery from his loan at Lyon.
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