The summer transfer window has a few months to go before it opens, but rumors are already rife about some potential moves Europe's biggest clubs could make, and where top players could find themselves plying their trades at the start of the 2021/2022 campaign.
Two clubs that have been creating a bit of buzz lately are Bayern Munich and Chelsea. The German titans, who recently became the second team in football history to win the Scudetto, are naturally always on the lookout for promising options to bolster their already-formidable squad. While they do have the reputation for cherry-picking the best talents from their Bundesliga rivals, die Roten are not averse to looking outside Germany when it comes to their search.
As things stand, Bayern, as expected, sit on top of the Bundesliga table, albeit the Bavarian titans aren't guaranteed of successfully defending their league crown. Ambitious side RB Leipzig, who are only two points behind, are continuing to apply pressure in the hopes that Hansi Flick's side suffer a surprise slip-up at some point.
Meanwhile, Chelsea, who have seen their fortunes improve since Thomas Tuchel's appointment in January, are also reportedly looking for ways to beef up their squad for their multiple campaigns next season. The Blues have now moved back up the table into fourth spot, with three wins and two draws from their last five matches, including getting revenge on reigning champs Liverpool. Indeed, Chelsea remain unbeaten under their new coach across all competitions as they look to book their place in the Champions League quarter-finals at Atletico Madrid's expense next week.
To that end, the two clubs could be involved in an interesting swap deal of sorts once the transfer window opens. Chelsea's Christian Pulisic has long been an interest for Bayern dating back to his days at Borussia Dortmund, but the American international opted to move to Stamford Bridge in a record-setting $73 million (£57.6 million) deal. However, despite a solid first season under Frank Lampard's tenure, during which he scored 11 goals and provided ten assists in all competitions, things have not gone as well for him in his sophomore campaign at Stamford Bridge.
Indeed, he's yet to make a Premier League start since Tuchel arrived - a surprising fact given the two have a working history from Pulisic's time at Borussia Dortmund. So it's not surprising that there reports of the Pennsylvania-born attacker's frustration with his lack of gametime and as such, numerous clubs have been tracking his situation.
Meanwhile, at Bayern, winger Kingsley Coman has reportedly expressed interest in playing in the English top flight. The French international was the hero on the night as he scored the only goal against his former club, PSG, to clinch the Champions League title for Bayern last season. Coman has also spent time on the books at Juventus, where he won two Scudetti prior to moving to the Allianz Arena; he's also won two Ligue 1 titles during his term at the Parc des Princes.
So, could some sort of swap be on the cards? Potentially, but both Bayern and Chelsea will have to fend off competition from teams like Manchester United, Liverpool, and Manchester City who have their own plans to temp these talented young players.
