Chelsea 'agree to sign' Jerome Boateng from Bayern Munich
By Mitch Wilks
Chelsea have 'agreed' a deal to sign Jerome Boateng from Bayern Munich this summer, according to a report.
The veteran German central defender is out of contract in summer and is free to negotiate a move with other clubs on pre-contract terms. The Blues spent big last summer, also bringing in experienced campaigner Thiago Silva on a free transfer, but managerial change means they will likely head into the transfer market again.
Bild (via Sportskeeda) initially reported that Chelsea were keeping tabs on Boateng, with former Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel expressing an interest in his fellow countryman. Now, Spanish outlet Todofijaches go one step further and claim that an agreement has been reached between the club and Boateng's agent.
The 32-year-old is said to have been on Chelsea's radar for a long time, even when Frank Lampard was in charge at Stamford Bridge. Despite his recent dismissal, it is believed Tuchel has a similar interest and a deal for Boateng has been in the works the whole time.
'If nothing goes wrong', it's alleged that Boateng should be Tuchel's first signing in charge of Chelsea, adding further experience to a backline that already contains the likes of Kurt Zouma, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Silva.
The World Cup winner, in principle, would be a shrewd addition to any side on a free transfer, given his previous career exploits. But there is no escaping the fact that Boateng has struggled with injuries as he's got older, and his weekly wage packet would not come cheap.
Dipping into the Bundesliga is not unheard of from Chelsea though, after the Blues raided the league last summer for Kai Havertz and Timo Werner in deals worth a combined £120m. Both have struggled to settle amid illness, injury and poor form, with former RB Leipzig striker Werner particularly struggling in front of goal; he hasn't netted in the Premier League for almost three months.
The experienced approach, meanwhile, has paid dividends in the form of Silva. Chelsea signed up the Brazilian on a one-year deal after his PSG contract expired, and he's been one of the few consistent players at the club throughout 2020/21. Boateng could do the same, but it remains to be seen if Chelsea have indeed pulled the trigger on a deal.