Chelsea have reportedly turned their attention to signing a highly-rated Bayern Munich attacker after sealing a deal for Barcelona's Marc Guiu.
The Blues added the Spaniard to their ranks for a modest £5m at the start of the window, triggering a cheap release clause in Guiu's contract with the Spanish giants.
While the 18-year-old has signed on for the next five seasons, Chelsea's search for another new striker remains unaffected, as two current number nines are likely to head elsewhere in the coming weeks.
Neither Romelu Lukaku nor Armando Broja appear to have long-term futures at Stamford Bridge, while the situation of 2023 signing Nicolas Jackson has also been called into question.
Chelsea could apparently be willing to part ways with the former Villarreal man if it aids their efforts to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle United, but a move for the Swede is still seen as unfeasible at this juncture.
© Reuters
Chelsea 'discuss' Mathys Tel transfer
Instead, journalist Si Phillips claims that Blues chiefs held talks about a move for Bayern Munich's Mathys Tel at the weekend, having initially taken an interest in the Frenchman back in February.
Chelsea did not accelerate their pursuit midway through the season, but the report adds that they have now ramped up their efforts to sign Tel once more after he went from strength to strength in a Bayern shirt.
The 19-year-old - who joined the Bundesliga giants from Ligue 1 outfit Rennes in the summer of 2022 for £16.9m - had a direct hand in 16 goals in 41 games last season, scoring 10 of his own and laying on six assists.
Tel struck seven times and provided five assists in 30 Bundesliga matches and demonstrated his versatility throughout the season, being deployed as a centre-forward and on both flanks.
However, the France Under-21 international only plays backup to Harry Kane in the striker's spot, while all of Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sane are normally preferred on the wings.
© Reuters
As a result, Tel was restricted to just six top-flight starts in the 2023-24 campaign and played just 139 minutes in the Champions League, failing to make it off the bench past the last-16 stage.
How realistic are Chelsea's chances of signing Tel?
Amid his struggles for minutes at Bayern Munich, Tel was supposedly courted by Manchester United during the late winter and early spring, before reaffirming his commitment to Bayern with a new contract.
The 19-year-old's terms now run until the summer of 2029, suggesting that he still views his long-term future at the Allianz Arena, but it remains to be seen how he fares under new boss Vincent Kompany.
At Chelsea, Tel could expect a strong wage and the security of a long-term contract, albeit with the caveat of playing Europa Conference League football rather than in the Champions League with Bayern.
The Frenchman's prospective signing would help Chelsea solve their winger and striker conundrum, but his recent new deal makes it too difficult to envisage this time around.
Ben Knapton
