Chelsea move ahead of Liverpool in race to land £35m FC Bayern Munich ace

Chelsea have reportedly been handed a boost in their pursuit of Liverpool transfer target Mario Gotze this summer, according to The Sun (via the Daily Star).

The 2014/15 Premier League champions, who currently sit ninth in the English top-flight standings after their 1-1 draw against the Reds at Anfield on Wednesday night, have joined their rivals in the running to land the Germany World Cup star from FC Bayern Munich once the current campaign concludes.

The 23-year-old, who has 50 international caps for his country and scored the winning goal against Argentina in the 2014 FIFA World Cup final in Brazil, has found the back of the net four times and provided a further four assists in just 20 appearances in all competitions for the Bundesliga giants this season.

Gotze, who previously worked with Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp during their time at German rivals Borussia Dortmund before the midfielder’s switch to the Allianz Arena back in 2013, has been reportedly told he can leave Bayern this summer as incoming boss Carlo Ancelotti starts to shape his squad for the forthcoming 2016/17 campaign.

The reports suggest that the German ace could cost either potential suitor around £35m.