Chelsea braced for summer bid as Monchengladbach vow to make Andreas Christensen their new club-record signing
Bundesliga giants determined to land Blues loanee on a permanent deal this summer after stellar debut season
BORUSSA MONCHENGLADBACH have revealed they are ready to make Chelsea loanee Andreas Christensen their club-record signing.
The 20-year-old is half-way through a two-year loan spell with the Bundesliga giants after making just one senior appearance for the Blues.
But Christensen has been a revelation during his short time in Germany, making 37 appearances in his maiden campaign while also being named Gladbach’s Player of the Year ahead of now-Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka.
The Denmark international’s performances also helped his new side secure a Champions League finish ahead of Schalke, and Gladbach are now plotting to break the bank to sign him on a permanent deal.
Sporting director Max Eberl : “In the case of Christensen we are ready to make a record transfer. We know that a player with his quality is not cheap.
“[However] the rumoured release demand of 20 million euros (£15.4m) for Andreas is wrong. There is no fixed amount.”
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Gladbach’s current record transfer is Christoph Kramer, who cost the club just over £11m from Bayer Leverkusen.
But whether Chelsea are willing to sell Christensen remains to be seen, with the player viewed as John Terry’s long-term successor at Stamford Bridge.
Christensen would also count as a club-trained player for Chelsea’s Champions League squad, something money can’t buy, and new boss Antonio Conte could be forced to make a huge call this summer.
The Italian is already looking at a number of defensive reinforcements as he prepares to take over in west London, with Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly a top target.
Juventus’ Leonardo Bonucci is also on Conte’s radar, but the 46-year-old is reportedly facing a struggle to keep hold of Atletico Madrid target Diego Costa.
The striker is said to be pining for a reunion with Diego Simeone and will apparently stop at nothing until he returns to the Vicente Calderon.