For the fourth summer window in a row, Bayern Munich will be in the market to sign a center-back. The Bavarian champions were stunned by Niklas Sule as he rejected the contract offer and agreed to a move to Borussia Dortmund this week. Die Roten has been preparing for this possibility as they step up efforts to sign Sule’s replacement.
It has been previously reported that Rekordmeister has identified three possible replacements for Sule. However, the latest report from Spox suggests that Bayern is intensifying efforts to sign Andreas Christensen on a free transfer from Chelsea. The Danish defender is the top target for the Bavarian club.
Spox further reports that Die Roten has twice held concrete talks with Christensen regarding a transfer in the summer. The talks between Christensen and Chelsea have stalled, but the Danish defender has not completely ruled out staying at Stamford Bridge.
The report from Spox also insists that Thomas Tuchel is eager to keep Christensen at Chelsea beyond this season. Christensen is expecting to earn somewhere between €10-12 million in his next deal. Sule had reportedly rejected an offer worth €10 million, so surely Die Roten can present a similar offer to Christensen and seal this transfer.
Christensen will turn 26 in a couple of months, so he fits the right age profile for Die Roten. His best years are ahead of him, so Rekordmeister will be getting a quality player that will keep on improving.
The Danish defender also has experience of playing in the Bundesliga. During his time at Borussia Monchengladbach, Christensen was one of the promising young defenders in the league. He has shown steady improvement at Chelsea in the last couple of seasons, so Rekordmeister will definitely get a quality replacement for Sule if they manage to pull off this deal.
Even if they land Christensen, Bayern does have players in the current squad that can help in replacing Sule. Tanguy Nianzou is highly rated at the club, but injuries didn’t allow him to get in rhythm during his debut season. The French defender can be effectively integrated into the starting lineup and replace Sule.
The second option for Die Roten is moving Benjamin Pavard permanently in central defense. The French World Cup winner prefers playing in central defense, so Sule’s departure provides him an ideal opportunity to play in his desired role. Moreover, Rekordmeister is looking to sign a top-quality right-back in the summer, which will free up Pavard to play in central defense. The next couple of months will give a clear idea about Sule’s replacement.