‘I rejected Real and the No 9 shirt - I could now join Chelsea in a swap deal’

Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel is being eyed up by Chelsea in a move which could see Christopher Nkunku heading in the other direction.

The 19-year-old starlet touched down on German soil in 2022, signed from Rennes for a hefty £24million at just 17. He hasn't disappointed for such a budding talent, becoming the club’s youngest-ever scorer during a DFB Cup outing just months after penning his deal.

However, the 33-time Bundesliga champions have hit the transfer market with a reported interest in Blues ace Nkunku - whose role under Enzo Maresca has primarily been one of cup deputy or benchwarmer.

Tel, who previously shunned Real Madrid in favour of staying in Munich, may now be a pivotal puzzle piece in a potential deal for Chelsea’s Frenchman, with personal terms supposedly agreed upon and the prodigy used to potentially sweeten the transaction.

Tel was reportedly a player of interest at the Bernabeu prior to his move to Germany. AS claimed Tel rejected Los Blancos' advances anyway and then after joining Bayern, he turned down their No. 9 shirt with the desire to earn the honour rather than just be given it.

He may never realise that though as his employers eye up a move for Nkunku, whose record in the German top flight makes for excellent reading as he registered 47 goals and 43 assists in 119 appearances for RB Leipzig. The 19-year-old could be heading to London as part of a swap deal.

Reports in Germany suggest that a verbal agreement between Nkunku and Bayern has been reached, and BILD believe that a swap is a likely solution, with Chelsea having a reciprocated interest in bringing Tel to Stamford Bridge and negotiations ongoing.

Maresca’s side first supposedly showed an interest in Tel over the summer, and considering that he has only played seven times for new boss Vincent Kompany this campaign, a showing of the exit door could be welcomed - despite him signing a contract extension until 2029 less than a year ago.

Tel already has one high-profile admirer too, in the form of team-mate and prolific goal-scorer Harry Kane, who stated last year: "He’s started the season really well. I like the way he trains. He’s always pushing himself and is fully committed. Every time he came in he made a difference and is very confident."