Chelsea dealt major blow as Gnabry agrees Bayern contract extension
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 15 Jul 2022 12:05 BST
- 3 min read
Chelsea's hopes of signing Germany international Serge Gnabry have all-but ended following news that he's agreed to renew his current Bayern Munich contract.
Gnabry, 26, had emerged as a key transfer target for the Blues following Raphinha's decision to join Barcelona over the West London club.
Alongside AC Milan's Rafael Leao, Gnabry was seen as a perfect alternative to the former Leeds United man, with the player reviewing his options amid plenty of interest.
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Gnabry's current deal at the Allianz Arena will expire in 2023, but the The Athletic's David Ornstein has now reported that he has agreed to extend his stay in Bavaria.
Gnabry, who spent time at Chelsea's London rivals Arsenal during his younger years, will reportedly sign his new deal in the coming days to end speculation over his future.
It's understood that Gnabry had interest from some of Europe's elite sides, including Chelsea and Real Madrid, but has decided to stay at Bayern instead.
Chelsea have already added Raheem Sterling to their ranks this transfer window, but their pursuit of Raphinha shows Thomas Tuchel still isn't completely satisfied with the forward options at his disposal.
The Blues had even agreed a fee with Leeds for the Brazilian, but Raphinha himself rejected a move in favour of joining Barcelona. Gnabry then became a serious option, but a deal is now out of the question.
Bayern's summer business
The reigning Bundesliga champions have signed Noussair Mazraoui, Ryan Gravenberch and Sadio Mane this summer, while Matthijs de Ligt is likely to arrive from Juventus.
Julian Nagelsmann's side may yet lose talisman Robert Lewandowski, however, with the Polish international set on joining Barcelona this summer. If the Blaugrana aren't able to get a deal over the line, it's believed that both Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea will enter the fray.
