Chelsea have contacted Bayern Munich over a potential move for the forward Mathys Tel.
The France Under-21 international was of interest to Chelsea last summer and a move is possible this month. The club will bid if they receive any encouragement from Bayern that a deal is possible.
Chelsea have not discussed offering players in the opposite direction but it is understood that Christopher Nkunku is a target for Bayern. Nkunku is Chelsea’s top scorer with 13 goals in all competitions but has struggled for regular opportunities in the Premier League this season. It is understood Paris Saint-Germain and at least one other club are tracking Nkunku, who joined Chelsea for £52m 18 months ago.
Tel predominantly plays on the left flank and has not scored this season. The Bayern attacker has potential, though, and scored seven times last term. Tel joined Bayern from Reims in 2022. Chelsea also hold a long-term interest in the Ipswich striker Liam Delap.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are asking for more than £20m to sell Renato Veiga, who is wanted by Dortmund on loan with an option to buy. Veiga, who can play at left-back, centre-back or in central midfield, is keen for a new challenge despite joining Chelsea for £12m from Basel last summer. The 21-year-old, who is said to have agreed terms with Dortmund, has made seven Premier League appearances.
It is thought that Veiga’s desire to leave is down to a desire to find regular football and secure a place in Portugal’s squad for the 2026 World Cup. Chelsea do not want to let him out on loan and are adamant they will consider only a permanent deal. The club could make a profit if Veiga, who has also been linked with Napoli, is sold.
Enzo Maresca, Chelsea’s head coach, acknowledged Veiga’s situation before Tuesday’s home game against Bournemouth. Maresca dropped the youngster from the squad for last month’s league game against Fulham for “technical reasons”. He started at left-back when Chelsea beat Morecambe 5-0 in the FA Cup on Saturday and has been a regular in the Europa Conference League.
Chelsea are open to sales and could also allow the midfielders Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Carney Chukwuemeka to leave. Dewsbury-Hall joined from Leicester last summer and has interest from West Ham. Chukwuemeka has a £40m buyout clause but Chelsea have opened the door to a loan, with Dortmund his likeliest destination. Monaco have inquired about the midfielder and Milan have tracked him but Chukwuemeka has no interest in moving to Strasbourg, Chelsea’s sister club.
Money raised through sales could help Chelsea fund a move for a centre-back, with Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi in their sights. Axel Disasi is another player who could depart, with the defender not in Maresca’s long-term plans.
Aston Villa have struck a deal with Dortmund to sign the forward Donyell Malen in a package worth an initial £20m. Unai Emery is poised to make the Dutchman, a longtime target, his first signing of the year. Dortmund have announced that Malen will miss Tuesday’s Bundesliga trip to Holstein Kiel to hold “talks with another club”.
Emery admires forwards who can play across several positions and Malen, who has won 41 caps for the Netherlands, will bolster his front line, which features Ollie Watkins, Jhon Durán, Morgan Rogers and Leon Bailey. Malen has scored five goals in 21 matches for Dortmund this season.
Emery was attracted to Rogers, a revelation after arriving from Middlesbrough last January in a £15m deal, in part owing to his versatility. Malen was an influential part of the Dortmund team that reached last season’s Champions League final, in which Villa’s summer signing Ian Maatsen also played.
Villa plan to make a couple more signings, with Celta Vigo’s full-back Óscar Mingueza another priority target. Villa’s president of football operations, Monchi, was in Spain last week to watch the 25-year-old defender. The Spain international would provide competition for Matty Cash and potentially allow Kosta Nedeljkovic to depart on loan.
Villa could face a tricky decision on Durán if European heavyweights such as PSG crystallise their interest in the Colombia forward. Durán would command a huge fee after scoring 12 goals in 26 games this season.
The Villa winger Jaden Philogene, who returned in the summer from Hull, is likely to depart this month, with Ipswich the frontrunners to sign him. Diego Carlos, one of the club’s high earners, is in talks over a move to Fenerbahce. Offloading Carlos would help Villa comply with PSR regulations.
West Ham have added Nottingham Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi to their list of striker targets. Graham Potter desperately needs attacking reinforcements, with Niclas Füllkrug out for three months with a hamstring injury, and Awoniyi is emerging as an option. West Ham have asked about a loan for the Forest striker but a permanent deal has been discussed. Forest want £20m for the 27-year-old Nigerian, who has lost his place to Chris Wood.
Forest have brought Wayne Hennessey back to the club to provide cover for Matz Sels and Carlos Miguel. The Wales international goalkeeper left Forest at the end of last season after suffering a serious injury, but has now rejoined the first team until the end of this campaign.
