'We've laughed about it!' - PSG boss responds to Chelsea's interest in Presnel Kimpembe

Paris Saint-Germain boss Christophe Galtier says he has been joking with Presnel Kimpembe about Chelsea’s rumoured interest – though is unsure if the defender will remain at the club or not.

Thomas Tuchel is eager to reinforce his back-line even further after securing the signing of Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli, with two Frenchmen next on his wish list.

Having pulled out of a deal for Nathan Ake after failing to agree a fee with Manchester City, the Blues are ready to return with a fresh offer for long-time target Jules Kounde – who is also being pursued by Barcelona.

Tuchel is also keen to be reunited with old PSG charge Kimpembe, who could be allowed to leave the Parc des Princes this summer if the French side’s valuation is met.

Chelsea are believed to have made contact with the Ligue 1 champions though a deal is not yet at an advanced stage, with PSG demanding €50million (£42m) plus €10m (£8.5m) in bonuses.

New PSG boss Galtier – who recently replaced Mauricio Pochettino – is not paying too much attention to the speculation, though has conceded that Kimpembe’s future is up in the air.

Asked about the rumours linking the centre-back with a move to Chelsea, Galtier told L’Equipe: ‘I’ve read everything that has been said about Kimpembe. We even laughed about it together!

‘I like him – he’s a great centre-back but what will happen, I don’t know.’

Italian giants Juventus – who are set to lose Matthijs de Ligt to Bayern Munich – are also keeping tabs on Kimpembe, though the World Cup winner is believed to prefer a move to Stamford Bridge.

Having lost both Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen on free transfers to Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively, Tuchel knows he needs to bring in more quality signings this summer.