‘I rejected Real Madrid and the No 9 shirt – I could now join Chelsea in a swap deal’ player reveals
Chelsea is considering a move for Mathys Tel of Bayern Munich that might send Christopher Nkunku in the opposite direction.
The 19-year-old sensation arrived in Germany in 2022 after being signed for a whopping £24 million at the age of 17. Just months after signing his contract, he became the club’s youngest-ever scorer in a DFB Cup match, demonstrating that he hasn’t let anyone down for such a young talent.
The 33-time Bundesliga champions, however, have reportedly expressed interest in Blues star Nkunku, who has mostly served as a benchwarmer or cup deputy under Enzo Maresca.
Tel, who previously shunned Real Madrid in favour of staying in Munich, may now be a pivotal puzzle piece in a potential deal for Chelsea’s Frenchman, with personal terms supposedly agreed upon and the prodigy used to potentially sweeten the transaction.
Tel was reportedly a player of interest at the Bernabeu prior to his move to Germany. AS claimed Tel rejected Los Blancos’ advances anyway and then after joining Bayern, he turned down their No.9 shirt with the desire to earn the honour rather than just be given it.
He may never realise that though as his employers eye up a move for Nkunku, whose record in the German top flight makes for excellent reading as he registered 47 goals and 43 assists in 119 appearances for RB Leipzig. The 19-year-old could be heading to London as part of a swap deal.
Reports in Germany suggest that a verbal agreement between Nkunku and Bayern has been reached, and BILD believe that a swap is a likely solution, with Chelsea having a reciprocated interest in bringing Tel to Stamford Bridge and negotiations ongoing.
Maresca’s side first supposedly showed an interest in Tel over the summer, and considering that he has only played seven times for new boss Vincent Kompany this campaign, a showing of the exit door could be welcomed – despite him signing a contract extension until 2029 less than a year ago.
Tel already has one high-profile admirer too, in the form of team-mate and prolific goal-scorer Harry Kane, who stated last year: “He’s started the season really well. I like the way he trains. He’s always pushing himself and is fully committed. Every time he came in he made a difference and is very confident.”