Bayern Munich’s £31m call increases pressure on Chelsea response as clause expiration nears

For a brief period, it looked like Niklas Sule could have provided a summer boost to Chelsea's defensive contract concerns after Bayern Munich confirmed his departure last month.

The defender, valued at £31m by TransferMarkt, had been linked to Stamford Bridge for many years and rumours sprung up again when Thomas Tuchel was appointed in 2021.

But on Monday afternoon, hopes of Sule joining were dashed when Borussia Dortmund confirmed they had agreed to sign the 26-year-old for next season.

Sule is one of the Blues defensive targets for this summer chalked off, further increasing the chase for Sevilla's Jules Kounde, a player who is expected to move this year.

The cloud over Stamford Bridge since the start of this season has only grown bigger as each week has passed.

Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta have all yet to sign new deals with the club. Thiago Silva is the only player who began the season with a year left of his contract to agree to an extension.

But the leading trio is set to depart at the time of writing, and little appears to suggest anything drastic will change in the next month.

Azpilicueta's situation may appear less pressing and informal given his standing as captain and longevity within the club. After ten years of service in west London, a departure would see him leave with great affection and an incredible legacy of silverware.

But it is the younger pair of Rudiger and Christensen who have always taken more interest, given they both are players of high value.

Christensen is an academy graduate who came of age under Thomas Tuchel last year in the Champions League winning run. He is three years younger than Rudiger and is arguably a few years away from reaching his peak.

Rudiger