Chelsea set to battle Bayern Munich for 25-year-old midfielder - Reports
Chelsea are interested in signing RB Leipzig midfielder Konrad Laimer, who is also a target for Bayern Munich, according to German journalist Christian Falk.
Chelsea have a host of midfielders in their ranks, including Mateo Kovacic, N'Golo Kante and Jorginho. However, Kante and Jorginho have their contracts expiring next summer, while Kovacic continues to struggle with injuries.
The midfield is quickly emerging as an area of concern for Graham Potter, who took charge of the club last month. The Blues are thus already looking at options to strengthen the area in 2023.
Leipzig midfielder Laimer has emerged as a player of interest to Chelsea, according to the aforementioned source. The London giants, though, face competition from Bayern Munich for him.
Laimer joined Leipzig from Reb Bull Salzburg for a fee of €7 million in the summer of 2017. He has since been an important player for the Bundesliga club, making 167 appearances across all competitions.
The Austia international found the back of the net 11 times and provided 18 assists for his teammates in those matches. He also helped the club win the DFB-Pokal last season.
However, Laimer has his contract with Leipzig expiring at the end of the current season. With the midfielder likely to be available for free next summer, clubs are already starting to queue up for him.
Bayern Munich have been heavily linked with a move for Laimer and even tabled a €24 million bid for him last summer. As per Falk, they are now in the driving seat to acquire his services.
It now remains to be seen if Chelsea can leapfrog the Bavarians in the race to sign the 25-year-old. It is also unclear whether a move to England will tempt the player.
Chelsea and Bayern Munich face competition from Liverpool for Laimer
It appears Chelsea are not the only Premier League club interested in signing Laimer. According to the report, the Blues and Bayern Munich also face competition from Liverpool for the midfielder.
Liverpool had contact to the Management of Konrad Laimer (also agents of Naby Keita. Laimer is a free agent in summer. @LFC is interested in a Transfer, also @ChelseaFC. But: @FCBayern is leading the race @BILD_Sport
TRUE✅ Liverpool had contact to the Management of Konrad Laimer (also agents of Naby Keita. Laimer is a free agent in summer. @LFC is interested in a Transfer, also @ChelseaFC. But: @FCBayern is leading the race @BILD_Sport https://t.co/Om2Srja2uc
Like the London giants, midfield has also been an area of concern for the Merseyside-based club. With Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the final year of their deals, the Reds intend to bolster the area next summer.
Jurgen Klopp's side have already been in touch with Laimer's representatives if the report is to be believed. The former Salzburg man is notably represented by the same agency as Keita.
It is worth noting that Laimer is currently sidelined with a syndesmotic ligament tear. He has clocked just 508 minutes of action for the German club this season and is only expected to return in January.