Chelsea currently value Bayern Munich target Christopher Nkunku at around £65 million and are intent on signing a replacement if they let the forward move to Germany this month.

As reported on Monday evening, Chelsea are ready to bid for 19-year-old forward Mathys Tel should they receive any encouragement from Bayern and have other similar targets lined up.

Chelsea paid an initial fee of £52 million to sign Nkunku from RB Leipzig in the summer of 2023, although it is understood that various add-ons took the final fee closer to £60 million. The Blues now value him slightly higher than that.

Napoli are earning around that price for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who is joining Paris St-Germain, and Chelsea believe that Nkunku, who is the club’s joint-top scorer with 13 goals, is a player with a comparable value.

It is unknown whether Bayern are prepared to meet Chelsea’s valuation of Nkunku or whether the Germans will attempt to negotiate a lower price. It is believed that the player has already indicated a desire to make the switch and that personal terms would not be a problem.

Chelsea are also adamant that Nkunku would need to be replaced this month and are currently looking at right-sided attackers who can play off the left or through the middle.

Tel falls into that bracket, while Chelsea are among the clubs who had expressed an interest in PSG-bound Kvaratskhelia and also have other targets they have been checking on.

Chelsea enquired about Tel last summer and have asked again about his availability ahead of potentially making a formal bid for the player, who Tottenham Hotspur tried to sign as part of the sale of Harry Kane to Bayern in 2023.

Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund has claimed Tel “should play an important role for us”, but that could be seen as a negotiating position.

Freund said: “Mathys Tel is a very important player for us, we are in very good contact because he’s a great talent and should play an important role for us. We have had many discussions.

“Our clear goal is for Mathys to make his breakthrough with us. We are very happy with our squad, quality and quantity wise. Of course if a player is unhappy, we can talk about it. Our clear plan with Mathys is for him to make his breakthrough here.”

Chelsea also remain in the market for a central defender, with Axel Disasi expected to leave the club this month. Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi is on a list of options, which also still includes recalling Trevoh Chalobah from his loan at Selhurst Park.

Chelsea also have a young, so far unnamed, centre-back lined up for the summer, whose move they could look to try to accelerate.