CONFIRMED: Chelsea in talks with Bayern over Nkunku swap deal

Tom Weber

Updated: 13 Jan 2025 21:32 GMT
3 min read

Christopher Nkunku, Chelsea, 2024/25 — © IMAGO

Chelsea have held initial talks with Bayern Munich over a potential swap deal for Mathys Tel and Christopher Nkunku, according to David Ornstein, Fabrizio Romano and others.

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The Blues have enquired about Tel's availability in light of the fact that the young Frenchman has barely featured under new Bayern coach Vincent Kompany.

Chelsea have a long-standing interest in the 19-year-old striker, who has often been forced to play as a winger due to the presence of Harry Kane. The teenager was already the subject of exit rumours at this time last year.

However, Bayern expressed their full confidence in Tel at the time and managed to convince him to sign a new contract. Significant game time was promised, but Tel has not been more than a benchwarmer this season.

Bayern have always insisted that they will continue to back Tel and that he is not on the market, but it seems that Chelsea are now prepared to test the Bavarians' resolve.

Chelsea open Tel talks

According to BILD, Fabrizio Romano and David Ornstein of The Athletic, Chelsea have opened talks with Bayern to gauge whether or not a potential deal is possible.

These talks are at an early stage and nothing has been decided so far, but one name that has also come up in these discussions is Christopher Nkunku.

Tel's compatriot is frustrated with his role at Chelsea and has been heavily linked with a January exit. Bayern hold an interest in the 27-year-old and the Blues are open to letting him go if it were to boost their chances of landing Tel.

Ornstein reports that a potential move of Nkunku would be a separate deal, but it is clear that it would, for all intents and purposes, be a swap. Bayern director Max Eberl knows the striker well from his time at RB Leipzig and is surely the driving force behind the interest.