Trusted German source reveals spectacular Chelsea, Tottenham transfer tussle for ‘available’ Bayern star | OneFootball

Chelsea are reportedly ready to go head-to-head with London rivals Tottenham Hotspur for a Bayern Munich centre-back this summer, according to a trusted German source.

Both Premier League rivals are expected to be on the hunt for central defensive options this summer, with Chelsea missing out to Liverpool in the race to sign Jeremy Jacquet in the winter window, while Spurs have serious doubts over the futures of first-choice pairing Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven.

Taking all that into account, it’s being reported that both clubs are weighing up bids for Bayern star Kim Min-jae, who could well be available come the end of the season.

Kim has made 102 appearances in all competitions for the Bavarian outfit since moving to Germany from Napoli for €50million (£43.5m) in 2023 – a fee that made him the most expensive Asian footballer in history at the time.

During his time with Bayern, the experienced 29-year-old has proven to be an invaluable first-team starter, helping Vincent Kompany’s side win both the Bundesliga title and German Super Cup last term.

However, Kim has suffered from being behind first-choice central defensive pairing Dayot Upamecano and Jonathan Tah this season, while injury problems have also not helped his cause.

Indeed, the South Korea international has made a total of just 10 starts in the Bundesliga this term. And now Bild reporter and Bayern insider Christian Falk, claims Chelsea and Tottenham have been closely monitoring Kim’s situation and a transfer tug-of-war could break out between the two bitter rivals.

He claims both London clubs have placed the experienced defender on their shortlist of possible targets’ and that Blues view Kim as a strong option after losing their battle for Jacquet to Liverpool.

As for Tottenham, they are also in need of reinforcements at the back, although their current managerial situation makes things tricky, in terms of identifying and then looking to attract new additions – although they are also in the mix to sign Antonio Rudiger on a free transfer from Real Madrid.

Bayern ready to consider Kim sale

The Bild report adds that Bayern ‘could be open to selling’ Kim should they receive a ‘handsome’ fee for his services this summer, despite the player currently being ‘happy’ with his role at the club.

Kim, whose current contract with Bayern runs through to June 2028, was actually left out of Bayern’s squad that went on to crush Hoffenheim at the Allianz Arena earlier this month.

And, speaking after his side’s comfortable victory, Kompany confirmed that the South Korean’s absence had nothing to do with fitness issues and was all pre-planned.

“There will be a rotation when everyone’s fit,” the Bayern coach told reporters when asked to clarify the reason for Kim not being in the squad.

“It’s not that someone did something wrong. We need healthy competition.”

Kompany also stressed that Kim remains central to his plans going forward, although his status as a backup almost certainly means that should a significant offer come in this summer then Bayern will surely consider it.