Chelsea could reportedly sign Marcus Thuram for €10m (£8.9m) this month, with Borussia Monchengladbach open to letting the forward leave in the middle of the campaign.
The France international has been in impressive form for Gladbach during the 2022-23 campaign, scoring 13 goals and registering four assists in 17 appearances in all competitions.
However, the 25-year-old's contract is due to expire at the end of June, which has led to a host of speculation surrounding his future with the German club.
Chelsea are believed to be determined to sign another forward during the January window despite recently bringing in Joao Felix from Atletico Madrid.
Felix picked up a red card on his debut against Fulham on Thursday, which has strengthened the club's desire to add to their forward line over the next couple of weeks.
© Reuters
According to German journalist Christian Falk, Gladbach are reluctant to lose Thuram on a free transfer this summer, so they would rather sell him in the middle of the season.
Falk claims that an offer of €10m (£8.9m) is likely to be accepted by the German outfit, who would then look to bring in a replacement before the window closes.
"I heard that Gladbach is still waiting for an offer from Chelsea for Marcus Thuram," Falk wrote in his column for CaughtOffside. "Beside Joao Felix, it's not the same type of striker, so they still need one.
"Gladbach have an idea of selling Thuram for €10m (£8.9m) now rather than losing him for free in the summer, then reinvesting the money in a new striker.
© Reuters
"The offer's yet to come, of course, and they're a little bit afraid of Barcelona who have been sweeping up all the available free agents on the market."
Thuram started his professional career with Sochaux, turning out for the French club on 43 occasions before making the move to Guingamp in 2017.
The forward, who represented France at the 2022 World Cup, then arrived at Gladbach in 2019, and he has played for Die Fohlen on 119 occasions, scoring 41 goals and contributing 26 assists in the process.
A move for Thuram could see Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leave the club, with the former Gabon international currently being strongly linked with a return to Barcelona.
As well as Felix, Chelsea have signed Benoit Badiashile, Andrey Santos and David Datro Fofana this month.
Matt Law
