Barcelona will reportedly have to battle German champions Bayern Munich in the race to sign Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen in the summer.
According to reputed transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona and Bayern Munich are set to go head-to-head in pursuit of Chelsea star Andreas Christensen.
The 25-year-old has been with Chelsea for close to ten years now, having joined the Blues academy in 2012. It was only after a two-year loan stint at Borussia Monchengladbach between 2015 and 2017 that Christensen got a proper look-in into the senior side at Stamford Bridge, and he has continued to enhance his reputation since.
The Danish centre-half has gained greater importance in the team under Thomas Tuchel, but his time with Chelsea could be coming to an end when his contract expires at the end of the ongoing season. Talks over a renewed contract for Christensen have not yielded the desired result for the west London club, leading to teams lining up to sign him.
There have been links to Premier League rivals Manchester United and Tottenham, while Barcelona are also strongly interested in securing his services. The Catalans require a defensive reshuffle next summer as Gerard Pique enters the final phase of his career. At the same time, Samuel Umtiti and Clement Lenglet are expected to move on either this month or at the end of the season.
Andreas Christensen situation. Barcelona and FC Bayern are both strongly interested in signing him – club sources confirm ?? #CFC
Chelsea proposal still on the table but there’s no agreement. Nothing has changed.
Final decision to be made soon.
? More: https://t.co/g3PJkt1awt pic.twitter.com/P8jjczGmCU
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 14, 2022
With Eric Garcia not settling in as expected, Xavi Hernandez can benefit by adding another quality defender to his squad in the summer. And considering that finances are tight, they will have to look at cost-effective options, making Christensen a viable target due to his potential free agency in the summer.
However, the Blaugrana will have to face competition from Bayern Munich in the race for the Dane. The German champions are staring at the prospect of losing Niklas Sule in the summer, when his contract is set to expire. Interestingly, the 26-year-old has been linked with a move to Barcelona and several other clubs, leaving Die Roten searching for defensive reinforcements.
Christensen, to that end, has emerged as a target for the Bavarian giants. However, the update from Romano claims that Chelsea’s contract offer is still very much on the table for the 25-year-old. So the centre-half will have a major decision to make over his future in the coming weeks.
