17-goal striker turns down move to Stamford Bridge

Chelsea are looking to sign another striker on top of Liam Delap, but one of their targets has now turned down a move to Stamford Bridge in favour of joining another Euro giant.

In recent weeks, Chelsea have been linked with moves for several players that can operate as a number nine, most recently Joao Pedro. But joining the Brighton man on their list has been Nick Woltemade.

Woltemade has attracted interest from a number of clubs across Europe, having scored 12 goals in the Bundesliga last season for Stuttgart. Chelsea are one of them, but it now appears that a move to London will not materialise.

Nick Woltemade snubs Chelsea in favour of Bayern Munich

Nick Woltemade autographs a Germany fan's football shirt.
Nick Woltemade has turned down the chance to join Chelsea (Photo by Christian Hofer/Getty Images)

As reported by Bild’s Julian Agardi, Woltemade has turned down approaches from Chelsea and Napoli, with the Germany U21 player only interested in a move from Stuttgart to fellow Bundesliga side Bayern Munich.

“Nick Woltemade will move from Stuttgart to FC Bayern. For this reason, the striker turned down Chelsea and SSC Napoli this morning after the end of the U21 European Championship. His full focus is on the Bayern transfer. He has already expressed this desire to Stuttgart several times.”

Woltemade is player that fits the signing policy that Chelsea have implemented in recent years, which is going after highly-rated younger players. They will not be successful on this occasion, but with a move for Brighton’s Pedro gaining traction, they are unlikely to be too disappointed at this snub.

Chelsea will put this setback behind them, as they continue their focus on the Club World Cup in the United States. On the transfer front, Pedro looks good to sign, while a deal for Jamie Gittens is expected to be finalised in the coming days.

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