Chelsea have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Bayern Munich defender Niklas Sule, with Bavarian chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge admitting that finances could make it difficult to agree a contract extension.
Bayern are already set to lose one centre-back in David Alaba this summer, although they have secured the signature of RB Leipzig's Dayot Upamecano for the 2021-22 campaign.
Sule's future is shrouded in uncertainty, though, as the 25-year-old has less than 18 months left to run on his current contract and is being tipped to head to the blue side of London.
Now, Bayern chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has admitted that the club's volatile financial situation will impact any contract talks with the defender, as the 65-year-old told ZDF: "We want the good German national team players at FC Bayern. Niklas still has one year of the contract.
"We will hold talks and see where they'll lead. We will look at the whole thing seriously & calmly by the summer. Corona (COVID-19 pandemic) has also caused financial damage to FC Bayern.
"If we find a solution, we are happy to extend the contract, but that will only be possible under certain conditions."
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his future, Sule is thought to be enjoying life with Bayern, although he has started just 11 Bundesliga games this term.
Ben Knapton
