Bayern looking to gazump Chelsea, others for Lyon’s Corentin Tolisso — report

Dispatches from France, such as this one from L’Equipe, bring tidings of more bad news if you’re a fan of Chelsea buying excellent players for reasonable prices. Bayern Munich have apparently identified Lyon’s Corentin Tolisso as the heir apparent to Xabi Alonso, and are now rushing to push a deal through right quick. They’re willing to drop 40m on the 22-year-old, which given the current climate, is basically peanuts.

According to L’Equipe, not only are Bayern ready to spend the cash, with wages to match no doubt, but Tolisso prefers Germany over England or Italy and he’s supposedly already agreed “the contours of an agreement around a long-term contract” with the Bundesliga champions.

Chelsea’s links with Tolisso intensified as our supposed pursuit of Monaco’s Tiemoue Bakayoko hit a few unidentified snags and roundabouts last week. With Bayern also moving fast on Alexis Sanchez, Chelsea need to swing into action on both fronts if we are to beat the German juggernauts to either signing.