Chelsea Transfer Target Mathys Tel could become the latest player to attempt to banish the so-called 'No.9 Curse' at Stamford Bridge.
Enzo Maresca's side have been linked to an ambitious £40million move for the Young Bayern Munich forward, who is currently playing second fiddle to Harry Kane. Tel, who arrived at Rennes' Allianz Arena for a whopping £24million aged just 17, reportedly rejected Real Madrid in the summer.
With the future of Christopher NKunku heavily linked with a move to Manchester United so uncertain, Tel is being watched by the West Londoners. The Blues are banking on Nicolas Jackson to lead the front line this year.
As the Senegal International struggles to convince, ties with strikers like Tel continue to linger. If he joined the club he could take the pressure of wearing the No.9 shirt.
Not only is that free, but so is his current No.39 shirt when he was on his swing at Stamford Bridge. Or could perhaps be used as a sweetener by the blues to convince him to exchange Bavaria for the English capital.
If Tel is superstitious, he may decide against opting for the No.9 shirt, as Chelsea signings such as Fernando Torres, Gonzalo Higuain, Radamel Falcao and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang all struggled while wearing the number. Watching the negotiations from afar will be united as Chelsea's pursuit of TEL could affect two transfer deals involving the Red Devils.
Ruben Amorim's side have been in communication with Chelsea for several weeks as the Blues are also interested in signing winger Alejandro Garnacho. A £40m move for Tel could mean the Blues are no longer able to pursue a deal for the £60m-rated Garnacho.
The silver lining of Chelsea's potential move for Tel, however, is that it could give United the green light to make a move for NKUNKU. The France international has only started the entire season with three Premier League games having fallen behind Jackson and Cole Palmer in the pecking order.
Tel's potential arrival would mean NKUNKU relying on injuries to get a run in the starting eleven. According to the Mail, NKUNKU is also of interest to Bayern, which could give the Blues a useful negotiating chip if they can make an offer for Tel.
The 19-year-old centre-forward told Chelsea he wanted to stay at Bayern Munich in the summer, but it is unclear whether he still has those feelings. The outlet also claims that NKUNKU has become frustrated with the lack of opportunities he has been given in the Premier League.
The ex-RB Leipzig Forward, who cost the Blues £52million in the summer of 2023, has not scored a Premier League goal since their 5-1 away win over Southampton in early December. NKUNKU has mainly been used in Cup matches, contributing 11 goals and four assists in 10 appearances in the Europa Conference League, the League Cup and the FA Cup.
According to the Athletics, Chelsea value him at around £65 million. He is also believed to be one of the higher earners in the club despite not being a regular starter.
The Chelsea hierarchy are not believed to be in a rush to move NKUNKU as they would be willing to wait until the summer to get the best deal if he chooses to leave Stamford Bridge.
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