Chelsea are expecting to appoint Christoph Freund as the club's new sporting director.
Todd Boehly acted as the interim sporting director over the summer transfer window but the American wants to appoint someone with more expertise in the area. Boehly is hoping to get the deal done as swiftly as possible so he can focus on other areas at Stamford Bridge.
football.london understands talks with Freund, who is the current sporting director at Austrian club Red Bull Salzburg, started last month. A deal has been agreed with Freund himself, but Chelsea are yet to reach an agreement with Salzburg over their transfer guru.
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Freund has been working at Salzburg since 2006, but started his role as sporting director in 2015. Salzburg have a very close relationship with their sister club RB Leipzig, who they regularly conduct transfer business with.
For example, the likes of Konrad Laimer, Dayot Upamecano and Naby Keita have all made the switch from the Austrian club to the German outfit. So, with this being said, football.london looks at five players from the Red Bull clubs that Chelsea can target if Freund is appointed as the new sporting director.
Josko Gvardiol
The obvious one. Chelsea hold a long-term interest in the 20-year-old central defender, football.london understands, but with his contract at RB Leipzig running until 2027, he would not be a cheap option.
There's a school of thought that Gvardiol can become a world-class talent in years to come. If Chelsea don't look to purchase him, another top European club will instead.
Christopher Nkunku
Like Gvardiol, Chelsea have a long-term interest in Nkunku. The France international did, however, sign a new contract with Leipzig over the summer transfer window, but something to keep an eye on is the €60million (£52.5million) release clause in the 24-year-old's new deal.
The clause becomes active next summer, so if Freund is indeed working at Chelsea then, it could play into the club's hands. Nkunku will have no shortage of suitors but Chelsea could have the upper hand with Freund at their disposal.
Dominik Szoboszlai
Szoboszlai is another player who made the common move from Salzburg to Leipzig. He did so in January 2021 and he has been tremendous for the German club since his £20million transfer.
The 21-year-old is an immensely talented playmaker, who can play through the middle or out wide when attacking. The likes of Hakim Ziyech and Christian Pulisic face uncertain futures at Chelsea, so a move for another wide attacker does indeed make sense in the future.
Nicolas Seiwald
Seiwald, who plays for Salzburg, is an energetic central midfielder who has enormous potential. The 21-year-old is someone who can defend as well as attack and progress with the ball. He presses very well – something that is embroiled into players at either of the Red Bull clubs.
Chelsea are looking for central midfielders, with that set to be right at the top of their agenda next summer. Seiwald is someone that could be looked at if Freund does indeed come in. He's someone with the potential to become a top class player in the future.
Luka Sucic
Seiwald's team-mate, Sucic, is another central midfielder Chelsea may turn their attention to. The 20-year-old Croatian will also have the lure of his compatriot Mateo Kovacic at Stamford Bridge.
Sucic's passing is very strong, with his technical ability and ball control in tight spaces also particularly impressive. He often plays as one of the 'wide' central midfielders in a three-man midfield. He's someone who does reportedly have a lot of clubs interested in him, however, so it won't be easy should Chelsea actually make a move.
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