Chelsea are set to step up their pursuit of Bayern Munich defender Niklas Sule as the German’s contract renewal talks with the German club have stalled.
Chelsea to Step Up Niklas Sule Pursuit
Bayern Executive Hints at Departure
Sule’s contract expires at the end of summer 2022, meaning he could be allowed to leave on a free transfer at the end of next season. This has alerted clubs all around Europe, including Chelsea.
Bayern Munich executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge hinted to Bild that he would like to keep Sule at the club, but only under certain conditions.
“If we find a solution, we are generally ready to extend the contract, but that will only be possible under certain conditions. Talks are now being held, then we’ll see what results they will lead to.”
It’s widely assumed that the “certain conditions” is a financial reference. Bayern have just secured the signing of Dayot Upamecano for £37 million, and are expected to do more business in the summer.
This leaves Bayern in a very similar situation to the one they found themselves in with David Alaba. The Austrian announced he would be leaving the club for free this summer after they failed to agree on a contract extension.
As well run a club as Bayern are, it’s far from ideal in the current climate to lose two valuable central defenders for free.
Centre-Backs at a Premium
The report linking Chelsea with a move for Sule comes from AZ in Germany, who believe new Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is very interested in bringing his compatriot to Stamford Bridge. If Sule were to make the move to West London, he’d become the fourth German in the squad.
A move for the 25-year-old is also plausible this summer, just not for free. With only one year left on the contract though, it would be possible to sign him for a reduced fee.
Centre-backs are likely to be the focus for many top European sides this summer. Manchester United and Liverpool are expected to be in the market for top defenders, along with Bayern Munich, Arsenal, and others. This makes someone like Niklas Sule a very important figure in the coming transfer windows.
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