Bayern Munich: Konrad Laimer rejects Chelsea for a move to Bavaria
The last couple of weeks has been very challenging for Bayern Munich as two senior players suffered serious injuries. Sadio Mane will reportedly be out for three to four months due to an injury to his fibula, while Lucas Hernandez ruptured his ACL on his right knee during France’s 4-1 win against Australia on Tuesday.
The serious injuries to Mane and Hernandez are not going to alter Bayern’s plans in January. The defending Bundesliga champions will be working on summer deals instead of looking for new players in the winter transfer window.
Despite the club’s stance of not signing players in January, Die Roten can achieve a significant breakthrough for a player that may arrive at the end of the season. The Bavarian club can seal the deal for Konrad Laimer in January by signing a pre-contract agreement.
According to SportBild, Laimer has rejected interest from Chelsea as he is eager to sign for Die Roten. The Austrian midfielder has no plans to sign a new deal at RB Leipzig, so he is set to become a free agent at the end of the current season.
TRUE✅ Konrad Laimer (25) @RBLeipzig said NO to @ChelseaFC. The free agent wants to join @FCBayern in summer
— Christian Falk (@cfbayern) November 23, 2022
Bayern tried hard to sign Laimer last summer, but RB Leipzig was not keen on selling him to a direct rival. The Bavarian club had three bids rejected for the Austrian midfielder. Die Roten had no plans to sign an alternative after failing to get Laimer. The interest in the Austrian midfielder was expected to be rekindled since he will be a free agent in 2023.
Apart from Chelsea, Liverpool has reportedly shown strong interest in Laimer. However, Bayern is currently in the driving seat to clinch the deal. The record Bundesliga champions have previously signed players on a pre-contract agreement in January, so negotiations for Laimer could take place in January.
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Laimer has done well for Leipzig in the Bundesliga. He has previously excelled under Julian Nagelsmann, so it is not surprising to see Die Roten trying to sign him. The Austrian midfielder can play as an eight or six. He is likely to provide quality cover for Joshua Kimmich at Bayern if the deal goes through.
Along with the deal for Laimer, Bayern may also look to explore the deal for Harry Kane during the World Cup break. The English forward has less than 18 months left on his deal at Spurs, so he could be available at an affordable price in the summer. Bayern has been heavily linked with him in the last few months as they look to strengthen the attack in the next summer transfer window.