• Rahman expected to have medical later this week
Baba Rahman is expected to complete his move to Chelsea later this week. Photograph: GmbH/REX Shutterstock
Chelsea’s pursuit of defensive reinforcements looks like finally making some progress after the club agreed a deal with German side FC Augsburg to purchase Baba Rahman.
The Ghana left-back, 21, has been earmarked as a long-term replacement for Filipe Luís, who was sold back to Atlético Madrid after just a season at Stamford Bridge. Negotiations have been continuing for several weeks, with the Premier League champions seeing a bid of €25m (£17.2m) rejected over the weekend.
Augsburg had been holding out for a fee closer to €30m (£21.2m) but with Rahman having already agreed personal terms for his move to the Premier League, the Bundesliga side have now reached a settlement over the structure of payments. Chelsea are expected to pay around £14m up front, with several significant bonus payments up to £6m due should he play more than 100 matches. The player and his agent have already travelled to London, with a medical planned for later this week.
Augsburg, who recorded their highest-ever finish of fifth in the Bundesliga last season, completed the purchase of a replacement for Rahman last week in the form of Philipp Max from Karlsruhe. Having only signed from Greuther Fürth last summer, Rahman made what appears to be his last appearance for Augsburg on Friday night in the cup victory over fourth-division Elversberg, performing a lap of honour afterwards to say goodbye to supporters.
“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,” said Augsburg’s coach Markus Weinzierl.
Chelsea were first alerted to the Rahman’s promise by their former manager, Avram Grant, who coaches Ghana. The 21-year-old was part of the squad who reached the final of the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year.
Chelsea’s pursuit of defensive reinforcements looks like finally making some progress after the club agreed a deal with German side FC Augsburg to purchase Baba Rahman.
The Ghana left-back, 21, has been earmarked as a long-term replacement for Filipe Luís, who was sold back to Atlético Madrid after just a season at Stamford Bridge. Negotiations have been continuing for several weeks, with the Premier League champions seeing a bid of €25m (£17.2m) rejected over the weekend.
Augsburg had been holding out for a fee closer to €30m (£21.2m) but with Rahman having already agreed personal terms for his move to the Premier League, the Bundesliga side have now reached a settlement over the structure of payments. Chelsea are expected to pay around £14m up front, with several significant bonus payments up to £6m due should he play more than 100 matches. The player and his agent have already travelled to London, with a medical planned for later this week.
Augsburg, who recorded their highest-ever finish of fifth in the Bundesliga last season, completed the purchase of a replacement for Rahman last week in the form of Philipp Max from Karlsruhe. Having only signed from Greuther Fürth last summer, Rahman made what appears to be his last appearance for Augsburg on Friday night in the cup victory over fourth-division Elversberg, performing a lap of honour afterwards to say goodbye to supporters.
“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,” said Augsburg’s coach Markus Weinzierl.
Chelsea were first alerted to the Rahman’s promise by their former manager, Avram Grant, who coaches Ghana. The 21-year-old was part of the squad who reached the final of the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year.
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