Chelsea hold advantage over PSG in race for Bundesliga star

Chelsea will discover which side awaits them in the Champions League quarter-finals when the draw is made on Friday. 

The Blues progressed following a 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund last week, overturning the German side’s 1-0 first leg advantage.

Graham Potter’s side could face the likes of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid or Manchester City in the last eight, while sides such as Inter Milan, AC Milan and Benfica also remain in the competition.

Winning the Champions League for a third time may well prove to be Chelsea’s only route to qualifying for next season’s competition, as they currently sit 11 points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League table.

Whether or not The Blues are in next season’s Champions League, Potter’s side will likely look quite different compared to its current composition.

Following a spending spree that has seen 16 new players arrive at Stamford Bridge, the ex-Brighton boss is currently managing an inflated squad, and a number of players are likely to depart when the transfer window reopens this summer.

Despite that, it appears that Chelsea are in the race to land at least one more signing.

As per Sport Bild via The Sun, The Blues hold an advantage over French champions Paris Saint-Germain in the race to sign Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Manu Kone.

Chelsea paid a Premier League record fee of £107 million to sign Fernandez in January

The 21-year-old has impressed this season for the Bundesliga side and his performances appear to have attracted interest from a number of clubs.

The French under-21 international has made 24 appearances across all competitions, scoring once and providing one assist.

Kone joined Monchengladbach from French side Toulouse back in 2021 and has since made more than 50 appearances for his current club.

Chelsea are said to be in pole position to land the midfielder ahead of PSG as Kone ‘dreams’ of playing in the Premier League.

The Blues have been linked with several midfielders in recent months, including Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham and Moises Caicedo.

In January, owner Todd Boehly splashed a Premier League record fee of £107 million to land ex-Benfica star Enzo Fernandez, but it appears that the American is still on the hunt for more midfield reinforcements.

Kone’s current contract with Monchengladbach is due to run until 2025, which puts the German side under very little pressure to sell him this summer.