Chelsea and Aston Villa are the two teams leading the race to snap up Hoffenheim striker Maximilian Beier, according to SportBild (via Sport Witness).
The German magazine claims that Brighton, Liverpool and Manchester United are also interested in the German international.
However, Enzo Maresca’s side and Villa are the clubs who have made the most headway, with it looking increasingly likely that Beier will make the move to England this summer.
SportBild‘s information is pretty light on detail, and there is no suggestion that a bid from the Blues is imminent.
Beier has a release clause in his contract
Chelsea were first linked with the 21-year-old last month when Sky Sports Germany journalist Florian Plettenberg confirmed that the club had “concrete interest” in the forward.
He also said Manchester United were keen on him but the most interesting information he shared was the existence of a €30m (£25m) release clause in Beier’s contract.
Considering the German scored 16 goals in the Bundesliga last season, it is not a surprise that so many teams are pursuing the player, considering the price.
Are Chelsea targeting any other strikers?
The Blues have been linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi in recent days, but the club have yet to make a formal offer.
Interest in Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran has cooled somewhat and the Colombian international now looks set to join West Ham instead. A move for Lille’s Jonathan David has also been downplayed.
Brentford’s Ivan Toney has been mentioned as a potential option again over the past week, but a number of journalists still think the most likely target is Atletico Madrid’s Samu Omorodion.
A bid has already been rejected for the Spaniard but there is a decent chance that Chelsea will go back in with another offer.
