"He is a player for FC Bayern Munich" - German giants join Chelsea in race for Juventus attacker
Bayern Munich have joined Chelsea in the race to sign Juventus star Federico Chiesa. The Bavarians' former CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has claimed the Italian winger is a player 'for' the Bundesliga giants.
Chiesa was one of the stars of Euro 2020 earlier this year, but remained at Juventus. Despite multiple clubs expressing their interest, no team could match Juventus’ high asking price for the attacker.
The Italian has not been able to hit last season’s form in the current campaign, but remains one of the most talented players in Serie A.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge on Chiesa: "I can confirm that he is a great player and he has always shown it, in the national team, at Juve and Fiorentina. He is a player for Bayern Munich" [RTV38] https://t.co/8PpRdJ7XEm
Chelsea tried to sign him last season but eventually roped in Romelu Lukaku for a club-record fee. The Blues might return for Chiesa next year, but will face competition from Bayern.
Rummenigge has spoken highly of Chiesa and believes he is a player who would suit Bayern Munich:
“I can confirm that he is a great player. Chiesa has always shown that, in the national team, at Juve and Fiorentina. He's a player for FC Bayern."
Bayern Munich head coach Julian Nagelsmann also echoed Rummenigge’s thoughts and praised Chiesa for his abilities on the pitch:
“He's a great player because he embodies incredible vigor and dynamism. I've known him for a long time and think he's outstanding because he's so carefree, often dribbling and looking for a degree very quickly. "
Chelsea and Bayern Munich may have to break the bank to sign Chiesa
Federico Chiesa has had his fair share of issues with injury and form this season but is likely to be in demand in the summer transfer window.
The Bianconeri are not in the healthiest of financial situations at the moment. Should they miss out on Champions League football next season, they may have to sell some of their top players.
Chelsea have the financial muscle to make a bid for Juventus, while Bayern Munich may struggle to match Juventus’ asking price.
Thomas Tuchel would love to have Federico Chiesa at Chelsea, but Juventus are NOT planning to sell him.
- @FabrizioRomano via @Transferzone00 https://t.co/lmGXDtnfs7
The Bianconeri are likely to demand a fee in excess of €100 million for their star attacker even though his form has dipped this season.
Both Bayern Munich and Chelsea may have to sell a few players before signing Chiesa, however. The two clubs have several attacking players on their roster, and offloading some of them before making an approach for Chiesa would make more sense.