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UPDATE: Chelsea FC have now announced the deal with Djilobodji being handed a four-year contract.
.@ChelseaFC is delighted to announce the signing of Papy Djilobodji from Nantes... http://t.co/1lHKPD2XFf pic.twitter.com/4kca7uI7d7
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 1, 2015
Chelsea FC have officially signed Papy Djilobodji from FC Nantes
Chelsea FC have finally signed a defender with Papy Djilobodji joining the Blues from FC Nantes. The Ligue 1 outfit confirmed the deal both in a statement and on Twitter.
[OFFICIEL] : Papy Djilobodji à @ChelseaFC http://t.co/IVjSVfDox1 pic.twitter.com/bITeTZtxxY
— FC Nantes (@FCNantes) September 1, 2015
Rumours linking Chelsea with Djilobodji seemed to surface from nowhere yesterday, but now the French club have announced the deal. Sky Sports report that the fee will be in the region of £2.7million.
"A Nantes statement said the Senegal international has signed a four-year contract with Chelsea, while Sky sources say the fee is £2.7m."
The Blues have been on the lookout for a few defenders throughout the summer. Their pursuit of John Stones has dominated the headlines for a large portion of it, but Everton’s stance on the 20-year-old has forced Chelsea to turn their attention elsewhere with regard to the centre-back department.
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The club fulfilled their requirement of a full-back with the acquisition of Abdul Baba Rahman a couple of weeks ago, but the team’s performance so far this season has highlighted the more immediate need for a new recruit in the heart of the defence.
Chelsea have been linked with several high-profile players in the last 72 hours, with Marquinhos, Ezequiel Garay and Aymen Abdennour all tipped for a Stamford Bridge move. However, many of these deals have been rendered impossible, and the Blues have signed Djilobodji instead.
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The 26-year-old defender played 31 Ligue 1 games last season and was a major part of a Nantes defence that conceded the sixth least number of goals. His recent form has earned him a spot with the Senegal senior team, with whom he featured in the 2015 Africa Cup Of Nations.
He has made over 180 competitive appearances in the six years since joining Nantes and is known as one of the best defensive talents in French football.
With only one year left to run on his contract, Chelsea have managed to obtain him at a price that is significantly below his true value. While some Chelsea fans may doubt the quality of the player given his price tag, it is worth mentioning that some of the club’s best signings have come at reasonably low prices (Cesar Azpilicueta and Branislav Ivanovic come to mind).
It must also be stated that Chelsea themselves have not officially announced the deal, but it would take something bizarre/David De Gea-esque for this move to fall through.
Are we excited about this signing? Or is it a bit of anti-climax? Let us know in the comments below!
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