Chelsea will hope to keep alive their hopes of finishing in the top five in the Premier League when they host Manchester United on Friday.
The Blues were beaten 2-0 by Newcastle United in their last outing, a result which damaged their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Enzo Maresca’s side currently sit fifth in the top flight standings, which would be enough to qualify, but they face United and high-flying Nottingham Forest in their final two games.
The West London side will qualify for the Europa League next season if they beat Real Betis in the final of the Europa Conference League, but those in charge of the club and their supporters will want to be involved in Europe’s premier club competition.
In the meantime, it has emerged that the Blues are leading the race to sign a former Premier League star on a free transfer this summer.
According to Football Insider, Chelsea and London rivals Arsenal are currently leading the race to land Bayern Munich winger Leroy Sane.
Sane could leave Bayern Munich this summer
The Germany international’s current contract with Bayern is set to expire this summer, and he could therefore depart The Allianz Arena as a free agent at the end of the current campaign.
It is claimed that both the Blues and the Gunners are interested in the 29-year-old, who joined Bayern from Manchester City in 2020.
He has since played 219 times for the German giants across all competitions, scoring 61 goals and providing 55 assists.
During his time in Bavaria so far, the winger has lifted no fewer than eight trophies including four Bundesliga titles and the FIFA Club World Cup.
The report claims that the German attacker looked likely to agree a contract extension with his current club, but he has since switched agents and his future has therefore been thrown into doubt.