Bayern Munich have failed with a loan bid to land Christopher Nkunku - which has been rejected by Chelsea as they seek to raise funds for their pursuit of Alejandro Garnacho.
The Manchester United winger is one of two forwards who are being eyed by the Blues - alongside RB Leipzig's Xavi Simons. And as a result they are not looking to sanction any temporary exits which has seen them reject the German's approach for the Frenchman.
Those at Old Trafford are willing to sanction Garnacho's departure with the Argentine falling out of favour. The player himself is keen on a move away to reignite his career and sees Stamford Bridge as the ideal destination.
However his move is contingent on a transfer merry-go-round that needs Chelsea to raise capital to continue their recruitment. As a result they have told Bayern, who want to bring Nkunku back to the Bundesliga, that they only want a permanent sale, reports The Times.
Bayern remain interested in Nkunku as they need to bolster their attack following the sale Kingsley Coman to Al-Nassr on Friday. But given that they and Chelsea want two different deals, any movement is currently unlikely.
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Inter Milan are also thought to be interested in Nkunku, but again they have been told that they would need to pursue a permanent move. Leipzig previously considered an approach, but the player is not interest in a return to his former club given they not qualify for the Champions League this season.
Nkunku has four years remaining on his contract after joining the Blues in the summer of 2023. He made a £52million switch from Leipzig after scoring 58 times in two seasons. At Chelsea though he's scored just 18 times in 62 games.

United remain keen on sell Garnacho and are prepared for an offer from Chelsea. Any sale would be beneficial for those in Manchester as the Argentine, an academy graduate, would represent pure profit, which would aid their PSR figures.
Jadon Sancho is another player they want to offload. He, like Garnacho, appears to have little future at Old Trafford currently but he's turned down a move to Roma. The Italians were willing to pay £17m but the winger is still waiting to review his options having been linked with several clubs.
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