Bayern Munich could offer young talent in swap deal to sign Chelsea forward | OneFootball

The quiet around Bayern Munich during this winter transfer window has been broken as news comes in that they have opened talks with Premier League side Chelsea for the signing of Christopher Nkunku. According to Florian Plettenberg of SkySports, the player has reached a full verbal agreement with Bayern on a long-term deal, however, the two clubs are still negotiating. A loan for the Frenchman is not an option as Bayern Sporting Director Max Eberl wants to sign Nkunku only on a permanent deal.

Nkunku joined Chelsea from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023 for a fee of €60m. He struggled with injuries in his first season at the London club and could only make 14 appearances. While he has been healthy this season, his playing time largely seems to be constricted to the UEFA Conference League and cup games. Bayern’s interest in the versatile forward may be based on his impressive stint at Leipzig, where he scored 70 goals in four seasons and won two DFB Pokals along the way.

Chelsea interested in swap deal with Mathys Tel

Chelsea are exploring the signing of Bayern’s Mathys Tel as a potential swap deal with Nkunku’s departure. The Premier League club, just like Bayern, is also looking for a permanent signing and not a loan. So far, Mathys Tel’s camp and Bayern have been in agreement that the player should stay at Bayern and fight to get regular minutes but it could all change now.

David Ornstein of The Athletic suggests that Bayern consider the signing of Nkunku as a separate deal, not hinged on Chelsea’s interest in Mathys Tel. Regardless of whether it’s a swap deal, the two transfers will still have a major impact on each other, because if one of them fails, either Chelsea or Bayern would not have the significant funds or vacancy in the squad to complete the other move.

It is yet to see if Bayern would be willing to part ways with Mathys Tel during the middle of the season. Both the player and the club have shown a lot of commitment to each other in the past, having waved aside several possible loan moves.

The 19-year-old has struggled to get regular playing time this season and has performed poorly when coming off the bench. It was reported not long ago that Vincent Kompany has held long, direct talks with the player, reaffirming his full trust in him for the future. Hence it would be surprising if Tel and Bayern ultimately decided to part ways.