Italian transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Chelsea have opened talks with Borussia Monchengladbach to sign Man Utd target Marcus Thuram.
Thuram is currently in the final year of his contract at Borussia Park and could be leaving for free at the end of the season if he chooses to run down the remaining six months of his deal.
The situation has alerted several clubs throughout Europe with Chelsea strongly linked with a move for the Frenchman in recent weeks, while rivals Manchester United are also said to be interested in signing him.
Erik ten Hag is in the market for a new striker to replace Cristiano Ronaldo – who terminated his contract in November – and Thuram is one of several players who’ve been linked with a move to Old Trafford.
However, it appears Chelsea have stolen a march on Man Utd as Romano says the Blues have now opened talks with Gladbach to discuss a potential move for Thuram this month.
It is reported that Monchengladbach will be open to letting their striker leave for £12 million (Eurosport) this month to avoid losing him for nothing at the end of the season. Romano though has said that the 2022 World Cup finalist will take his own time to decide on his future, even if that means delaying a transfer until next summer.
Chelsea are in the market for an attacker, having struggled in front of the goal this season. The Blues have only managed to score 20 goals from 17 Premier League games this term and are currently 10th in the table, 10 points off fourth-placed United.
The West London club lost Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner in the summer and bought Raheem Sterling and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to replace the duo. Sterling and Aubameyang though, have struggled to find consistent form while the former picked up an injury against Manchester City last week.
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Thuram is currently on course to register his best-ever season in terms of numbers so it could be the ideal time to bring him to Stamford Bridge. The 25-year-old has made 15 appearances this season, notching 10 goals and three assists.
Chelsea are currently in need of a pure goal scorer and there are only a few better, cost-effective options than Thuram at the moment. He could be available for as low as £12 million this month but Potter and Todd Boehly will have to convince him of the project and to pick Chelsea ahead of rivals such as Manchester United – if they decide to formalise their interest, too.
