Chelsea are now in negotiations to sign a "beautiful footballer", and they have discussed the possibility of sending Christopher Nkunku in the opposite direction, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed.
Blues looking to offload Jackson and Nkunku
Once again, it has been a summer of heavy spending for the Blues, which means Enzo Maresca has been left with a somewhat bloated squad, and the manager may need to get two of his current forwards off the books.
Nicolas Jackson and Nkunku have been the subjects of widespread interest this summer, with the former now keen on joining Premier League rivals Newcastle United, while Bayern Munich have been named as potential suitors for the French striker.
Of course, Nkunku flourished during his previous stint in the Bundesliga, which led to his move to Stamford Bridge, with the former RB Leipzig man amassing a remarkable 35 goal contributions in 34 league outings during the 2021-22 campaign.
As such, a move back to Germany could appeal to the forward, and a return could now be on the cards, according to Fabrizio Romano, who recently took to X to reveal that Chelsea have discussed swapping Nkunku for RB Leipzig's Xavi Simons.
The same applies to Tyrique George, with the Blues looking to orchestrate a swap deal for the RB Leipzig star, having perhaps been unwilling to match the German club's reported £67m asking price outright.
In order to make room for the attacking midfielder and Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho, the west Londoners are trying to get Jackson and Nkunku off the books, but negotiations over a deal for Simons remain ongoing in the meantime.
Simons keen on move to Stamford Bridge
Journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed the RB Leipzig attacker is keen on a move to Stamford Bridge this summer, and there are plenty of indications that he would be an excellent addition to Maresca's squad.
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Josh Bunting was left very impressed with the maestro's performance in his side's 4-2 victory over Werder Bremen back in January, singling him out for high praise on X.
The 22-year-old chipped in with ten goals and seven assists in 25 Bundesliga outings last season, which is a solid return, with the Dutchman also catching the eye against Spain at international level.
There should be some caution about the potential signing of Simons, given that Nkunku also flourished in the Bundesliga, before failing to kick on in the Premier League, but the Netherlands international clearly has the ability to succeed at Stamford Bridge.