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Chelsea endured another night to forget at Stamford Bridge against Brentford on Wednesday (April 26) in the Premier League. Cesar Azpilicueta's own goal and a Bryan Mbeumo strike inflicted a 2-0 defeat on Frank Lampard’s side.
Meanwhile, Bayern Munich are planning to reunite Blues midfielder Mateo Kovacic with Thomas Tuchel. Elsewhere, the Blues are looking to reinforce their midfield this summer.
On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on April 27, 2023:
Bayern Munich want Mateo Kovacic
Bayern Munich are interested in Mateo Kovacic, according to journalist Christian Falk.
The Croatian midfielder enters the final year of his contract with Chelsea this summer but is yet to sign a new deal. Kovacic was a regular feature under Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge. The German manager has recently taken charge at the Allianz Arena and wants his former player to join him.
The 28-year-old recently said that he's happy in London but could be tempted by the chance to be reunited with Tuchel. There’s already a plethora of midfield talents in the Bavarians squad, so if Kovacic wants to move, he must be prepared to fight for his place.
However, with the uncertainties surrounding the Blues, the Croatian could opt for a fresh challenge at the end of the season.
Chelsea eyeing midfield reinforcements
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has said that Chelsea are planning to strengthen their midfield this summer.
The Blues paid a premium for Enzo Fernandez in January but are likely to be in the market for more new faces this summer. Co-owner Todd Boehly has invested more than £600 million since taking charge, but the spending is unlikely to stop this summer.
In his column for Caught Offside, Romano named Southampton’s Romeo Lavia and Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Manu Kone among the targets for the London giants:
“I already mentioned in the last two months some of the names they like, including Romeo Lavia and Manu Kone. But the decision will be made with the new coach, likely to be Pochettino. It’s not a two players race between these two; it’s something absolutely open,” wrote Romano.
Boehly is also likely to sign a new striker this summer.
Frank Lampard opens up on Pierre Emerick Aubameyang
Frank Lampard reckons Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang needs regular football to get back to his best.
The Gabon international came off the bench against Brentford during the break but failed to inspire Chelsea to a win. The 33-year-old has struggled for game time since arriving at Stamford Bridge at the start of the season from Barcelona.
Aubameyang has three goals and one assist in 20 games across competitions for the Blues this season. He has been a peripheral figure despite the obvious lack of a proven No. 9 in the squad.
The Gabon international failed to strike a chord under Graham Potter and Thomas Tuchel and is heavily linked with a departure from the Blues this summer. There’s talk of a possible return to Barcelona, while Aubameyang has also generated interest from the MLS.
Speaking after the Brentford defeat, Lampard said that the 33-year-old’s introduction made a difference to his team’s performance against the Bees.
“Auba comes on and has a couple of moments. He hasn’t played so many minutes. Maybe a fresh Auba scores those goals. Auba has been a tough one for me. I have complete respect for him as a player. He’s scored 300 goals in his career. He couldn’t play the two Madrid games for me because he’s not in the squad. He came on against Wolves,” said Lampard.
He continued:
“For a No. 9 particularly to be sharp playing regularly is key. He was in my thinking for today anyway. He certainly has the profile of a No. 9, which we don’t have elsewhere in the squad, so I did see a difference when he came on.”
Aubameyang could be in contention for a start when Chelsea face Arsenal on Tuesday (May 2).
