Thomas Tuchel wants 2 Chelsea stars to join him at Bayern Munich - Reports
Newly installed Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel is reportedly keen to bring the Chelsea duo of Edouard Mendy and Mateo Kovacic to the Allianz Arena this summer.
The German tactician has replaced Julian Nagelsmann at Bayern, who was surprisingly sacked by the club on Friday (March 24). According to Italian outlet CalcioMercatoWeb.it (h/t Football.London), he's eyeing a double swoop for Edouard Mendy and Mateo Kovacic.
Both were already at Chelsea when Tuchel was appointed in January 2021. The Senegal international faces an uncertain future at Stamford Bridge after being replaced as Chelsea's No. 1 by Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Mendy, as per the Sun, rejected a six-year-long contract in December as he believed the Blues did not show enough respect with their offer. The former Stade Rennais goalkeeper has played just nine league games this term and has been sidelined with a shoulder injury since December.
Bayern Munich will also need to replace Manuel Neuer (36) in the near future, whose contract expires in the summer of 2024. Kovacic, meanwhile, is one of manager Graham Potter's preferred midfielders alongside Enzo Fernandez.
The Croatia international's role in the squad has assumed even more importance this season due to Jorginho's January move to Arsenal and N'Golo Kante's injury issues. The French midfielder, 31, has played just 175 minutes across competitions this campaign, with his contract expiring this summer.
Mendy and Kovacic are apparently valued at a combined £43.9 million. Offloading Mendy would make sense if the west London giants want to continue with Arrizabalaga in goal. Kovacic, though, could be difficult to prise away from Stamford Bridge.
The former Real Madrid midfielder has featured in 27 games across competitions this season, captaining three times.
Chelsea star sends message on social media after emotional night with Argentina
Enzo Fernandez broke through as one of the best midfielders in the world in his age bracket at the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The 22-year-old featured in all seven games for Argentina in Qatar and won the 'Best Young Player' award in the competition. He celebrated the World Cup triumph with Argentina fans at El Monumental after his team's 2-0 friendly win against Panama on Friday (March 24).
After the celebrations, Fernandez, who was signed by Chelsea in January from SL Benfica for a British-record fee of £106.9 million, wrote on Instagram (h/t @AbsoluteChelsea):
"It’s impossible to describe in words what I had to live last night, every cry of encouragement, every applause, to see my family enjoy with all the beautiful people who wanted to show us their affection, it makes you want to live it every day, every game!"
Fernandez has started in all seven league games the Blues have played since his move from Benfica.