Chelsea are said to be hoping to hijack Paris Saint-Germain’s talks for signing RB Leipzig defender Nordi Mukiele this summer with Thomas Tuchel on the hunt for a new centre-back.
The Blues have brought in the 31-year-old Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli to make up for the twin exits of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen but uncertainty still looms large over the future of skipper and defensive mainstay Cesar Azpilicueta.
Barcelona are stepping up efforts to move in for the 32-year-old Spain international and with no headway in the drawn-out talks to sign Sevilla’s Jules Kounde, Tuchel has identified Leipzig’s first-team regular Mukiele as a viable alternative.
According to Foot Mercato journalist Santi Aouna, Chelsea are looking to pip Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain to signing the 24-year-old Frenchman despite Mukiele reaching a verbal agreement with the Parisians.
Chelsea are ready to send Timo Werner in the opposite direction, a return to the German forward’s former club Leipzig, on a season-long loan to convince Leipzig on sanctioning Mukiele’s move to Stamford Bridge.
