Chelsea look set to miss out on signing Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos, with the Brazilian revealing he is in talks over a new deal.
The Blues have a desperate need for defensive reinforcements ahead of what could be a potential exodus at the end of the season.
Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen are both out of contract at the end of the season, with growing concern that both could leave at the end of the season.
Thiago Silva has signed on until the end of the 2023/34 season and Chelsea had hoped to reunite him with his former teammate Marquinhos.
The two have played together more than 200 times at both PSG and with the Brazilian national team, winning a litany of major honours.
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Reports claimed that Chelsea had a £72million bid for Marquinhos rejected during the summer window, with hopes that interest could be rekindled at the end of the season.
But the 27-year-old now looks set to stay at the Parc des Princes beyond his current arrangement, claiming his future lies in the French capital.
“There are discussions, I hope things will move along quickly,” he told RMC Sport. “My future is PSG. Leonardo knows my desire, as do the club – they know what I want. I have it calmly in my head that my place is here.
“The club has shown the faith and respect it has for me. Everything is going in the right direction.”
It’s another setback for Chelsea boss Tuchel, who has been coming to terms with the news that Roman Abramovich will look to sell the club in the coming weeks.
The Russian billionaire has put Chelsea up for sale amid the rising threat of sanctions on oligarchs in the wake of the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
Tuchel has admitted that he is yet to hold any talks with the Chelsea hierarchy over potential summer plans, with those now put on hold for the coming weeks.
“Yes, but to be very honest, there are no talks about summer, not with Marina or Petr,” Tuchel explained. “It’s simply too early. There are always ideas and reflections on the subject but the main focus was on the last weeks, even without the noise.
"In the different competitions, we want to be as successful as we can only be and to bring out the best in our team where we had some work to do. Still have work to do to constantly improve.
"We are in a good place at the moment. I feel the team is growing, getting better and better. No worries in this particular case until summer, it’s still a long way to go.”
Tuchel also conceded that the uncertainty at boardroom level could have an impact on contract talks, which are growing in importance on a weekly basis.
“Of course, that’s a situation,” he added. “Maybe the bottom line is we cannot help it. It is what it is.
“You never know, maybe it has a positive effect on the negotiation. Maybe it has a negative effect.
“We cannot predict. I would not like to predict or start predicting all scenarios because we just lose focus on it.
"As I said, everybody has a different situation and feels different. I hope for the best outcome. Still, I think we have something to offer. Still, I think Chelsea is a strong club and will stay a strong club.”
