Augsburg defender Abdul Rahman Baba is on the verge of a move to Chelsea, according to reports in Germany.
Markus Weinziel, the Augsburg coach, says that he is proud of the fact that the Ghana international is close to joining a club of Chelsea’s stature.
German newspapers and Ghana media have been reporting for a while about the transfer, but there were still uncertainties over the move. Jose Mourinho, the Chelsea manager, however claimed publicly last week that he expects a left-back to arrive soon at the club, without mentioning any specific name.
The 21-year-old made 31 appearances in the top division of German football last season, and was instrumental in helping the Bundesliga club climb up to fifth-place finish and a spot in the Europa League.
According to reports from German magazine Kicker, a £17.7m deal taking the player to Stamford Bridge could happen at some point this week. The transfer negotiations are ongoing between the two clubs, and it is in the final stages, so expect Chelsea to secure their next summer signing very shortly. It is indeed interesting because The Guardian claimed earlier this month that Chelsea’s bid had been rejected, with the German club holding out for a fee in the region of €25m.
Coach Weinzierl says he would like to continue with the player at Augsburg, but he takes great pride in what he and his team (his coaching staff) have done for the youngster to progress rapidly.
“I would like to continue working with all players, but when you sign someone like Baba from the second division and he’s on Chelsea’s radar 12 months later, it does make the coaching staff proud,” he told Kicker,via ESPN.
Baba would be a like for like replacement for Filipe Luis, who was allowed to re-join his former club Atletico Madrid in the summer, and would compete with Cesar Azpilicueta for a regular starting spot.
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