Chelsea have reportedly ended their interest in Borussia Monchengladbach striker and soon-to-be free agent Marcus Thuram.
The France international is poised to depart the German club on a free transfer this summer, as recently confirmed by director Roland Virkus.
"We have to accept that there are even bigger clubs where Marcus might go. The fact that players will leave us for free is not a positive situation and I am not going to sugarcoat this," Virkus told Sport1.
Given Thuram's goalscoring exploits and status as a regular France international, a plethora of clubs are thought to be queuing up to present offers when the season comes to a close.
Chelsea were originally believed to have been one of the clubs considering a move as they set their sights on new strikers for 2023-24, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang widely expected to depart this summer.
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However, journalist Florian Plettenberg claims that Graham Potter's side are no longer in the running for the 25-year-old's signature, despite showing strong interest over the winter.
Plettenberg adds that Chelsea now have other plans to bolster their attacking ranks this summer, while Bayern Munich are not competing for Thuram's services either.
Thuram - son of legendary France defender Lilian Thuram - has therefore seen his transfer options dwindle slightly, with Barcelona also said to have dropped their interest in the striker.
Manchester United are said to have made contact over a summer switch to Old Trafford, though, while Arsenal, Liverpool and Inter Milan have also been credited with an interest.
Thuram plied his trade with Sochaux and Guingamp before joining Monchengladbach in the summer of 2019, and the 25-year-old has posted 42 goals and 26 assists in 127 matches for the club in all tournaments.
The France international has netted 14 goals and set up four more in 25 matches across all tournaments this season, but he has scored just one goal in his last eight Bundesliga games.
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Nevertheless, Thuram has been called up to the France squad for their upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against the Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland, having set up two goals in five games during the 2022 World Cup.
Chelsea addressed their attacking deficiencies in the winter window by bringing in David Datro Fofana from Molde, but the 20-year-old has made just three appearances this season and is viewed as one for the future.
Kai Havertz has held the fort up top while Aubameyang remains out in the cold, while Romelu Lukaku will return from his loan spell at Inter Milan this summer but seemingly does not have a future at Stamford Bridge.
Napoli talisman Victor Osimhen is believed to be the Blues' top attacking target for the upcoming window, but the Serie A leaders could demand over £100m to sanction a sale.
Chelsea sit 10th in the Premier League table and are out to record a fourth win on the bounce in all tournaments when they host Everton on Saturday evening.
Ben Knapton
