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Chelsea are preparing to welcome Brentford to Stamford Bridge on Saturday in the Premier League. Manager Thomas Tuchel will be eager to continue his team's recent momentum as he looks to keep his team alive in the league.
Meanwhile, the Blues have received a setback in their pursuit of an RB Leipzig star. Elsewhere, Pat Nevin has praised Kai Havertz for his recent performances. On that note, here's a look at the key Chelsea transfer stories as on 29th March 2022:
Chelsea receive setback in Christopher Nkunku pursuit
Chelsea have suffered a blow in their pursuit of Christopher Nkunku. According to journalist Christian Falk, Bayern Munich are interested in the RB Leipzig star. The Frenchman has generated attention from clubs around Europe and also has admirers at Stamford Bridge.
Nkunku has been on fire this season, registering 26 goals from 39 games. Tuchel is looking to bolster his attack this summer and has the 24-year-old in his plans. The likes of Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic have not lived up to the billing at Stamford Bridge, so the Blues are eager to bring in upgrades.
However, the London side will be worried with reports of Bayern Munich's interest in the Frenchman. The Bavarians have a penchant of picking up the best talents in the league and are monitoring Nkunku now. Leipzig are willing to consider his departure if they receive €75 million for his signature.
Bayern Munich will have to sell before they can afford the 24-year-old, though. The Bavarians could even be tempted to offload Robert Lewandowski to raise funds for Nkunku. Chelsea could be up for battle if they wish to bring Nkunku to Stamford Bridge.
Pat Nevin heaps praise on Kai Havertz
Chelsea legend Pat Nevin has praised Kai Havertz for stepping up in recent games.
The German has climbed ahead of Romelu Lukaku in the pecking order and has flourished in the number nine role. Havertz has bagged four goals and an assist in three Premier League games this season.
Writing for The Blues' website, Nevin pointed out that Havertz has presented himself admirably under testing circumstances, saying:
"Certainly a good number of players have stepped up to the plate when needed and maybe none more so than Kai Havertz. His goals in this period have been crucial. On top of that, when he has been interviewed, he has generally shown great intelligence and emotional understanding of the delicacy of the situations. When you consider how difficult this can be, with so many understandably angry people ready to jump on any misplaced word, he has been as impressive as anyone in the game."
He continued:
"You have to add on top of this his recent record with his national team as well. When he plays, he usually scores as he did against Israel along with Timo Werner who added the other. This is an incredible German side to muscle your way into but he has become integral to it. Even so, I will not be disappointed if he gets a rest for the game against The Netherlands tonight. We could do with a fresh Kai for our next run of games."
Havertz recently scored in Germany's 2-0 friendly win over Israel, with his club teammate Timo Werner netting the other.
Lazio interested in Emerson Palmieri
Lazio are interested in Emerson Palmieri, according to The Hard Tackle via Citta Celeste.
The Italian full-back is on loan at Lyon and is set to return to Chelsea at the end of the season. However, Emerson is surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge and is likely to be offloaded this summer, despite being contracted till 2024. So Maurizio Sarri is plotting a reunion with his former star in Serie A.
The Lazio manager is planning to strengthen his full-back area at the end of the season. The Serie A team are looking to fight for UEFA Champions League qualification next season and want a new left-back on their roster. Sarri has already been in touch with Emerson to convince him to move.
