Chelsea are reportedly ready to make a summer swoop for Niklas Sule, who is facing an uncertain future at Bayern Munich.
According to an exclusive report from Abendzeitung, Niklas Sule’s days at Bayern Munich could soon be over. The Bayern Munich defender has been a subject of criticism regarding his form and fitness issues, and with his contract expiring at the end of next season, the Rekordmeister might be tempted to cash in on their 25-year-old defensive asset this summer.
It has put Chelsea on red alert, with Thomas Tuchel holding Sule in high regards, although the defender is currently focusing on the upcoming European Championship this summer.
A product of the Hoffenheim youth academy, Sule joined Bayern Munich back in 2017, for a fee of €20 million. The German international was one of the most highly-rated centre-backs at the time and was brought in to replace Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels in the long term.
Sule has since enjoyed a successful time at Bavaria, notching up over 130 competitive appearances and winning Bundesliga titles as well as two DFB Cups and one Champions League.
In recent years, however, the German international has suffered from injuries. An ACL injury and a host of smaller issues saw him feature in just 600 minutes of league football last season. The 25-year-old has also struggled with a lack of form, often appearing as a misfit in Hansi Flick’s high defensive line that is more suited to players like Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard.
Although the departure of Jerome Boateng and Javi Martinez should help Sule earn a more prominent role in the starting eleven, the arrival of Dayot Upamecano does not bode well at all, coupled with the appointment of Julian Nagelsmann, who is expected to favour more versatile players like Hernandez and Pavard.
That is where Chelsea come into the fray, as the Premier League giants are in the market for a new centre-back that can replace Thiago Silva for the long term. They have already been linked with VfL Wolfsburg’s rising star in Maxence Lacroix, but in Sule, Tuchel could find himself a more proven alternative, who can turn out to be a rock at the heart of his three-man backline next season.
The German international is currently valued at around €37 million, and with his contract expiring in 2022, Chelsea should not find it too difficult to coax Bayern Munich into cashing in on their star player in the upcoming summer transfer window. It now remains to be seen which defender Chelsea zero in on to bolster their backline ahead of the 2021/22 season.