Chelsea and Arsenal are reportedly still interested in recruiting Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram.
The Frenchman has been in impressive form for Monchengladbach this season, scoring 13 goals and providing four assists in 20 appearances across all competitions.
However, his time with the German club is seemingly nearing an end, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.
Daniel Farke's side were keen for Thuram to sign an extension, but with those efforts proving to be fruitless, they are resigned to the fact that he will leave the club for free in the summer.
The January transfer window presented Monchengladbach with their final chance to cash in on their star striker, and although the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal were linked, the Bundesliga side were not prepared to sanction a sale.
However, according to Sport, Chelsea and Arsenal are still both interested in signing the 25-year-old on a free transfer at the end of the current campaign.
Chelsea signed eight players last month, including forward David Datro Fofana, but he is still unproven at the highest level.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who has recently been linked with a move to Los Angeles FC, is heading towards the exit door, and as a result, Chelsea are keen to bolster their forward line.
Mikel Arteta's side are also considering a move for Thuram to provide strength in depth with Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah the club's only recognised central strikers.
Despite being keen to land Thuram's services, Chelsea and Arsenal will face competition from several major European clubs.
Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Inter Milan, Sevilla and Real Madrid are all weighing up whether to make a contract offer.
There is also further interest from elsewhere in the Premier League, with Liverpool, Newcastle United and Aston Villa among the player's admirers.
In a separate report, ESPN claim that Atletico Madrid have lined up Thuram as a replacement for Joao Felix.
The Portugal international is currently on loan at Chelsea, and although there is no buy option included in the deal, Felix is believed to be open to a longer spell at Stamford Bridge.
Atletico considered a move for Thuram last month, but with Monchengladbach unwilling to part ways in January, they decided to sign Memphis Depay from Barcelona instead.
However, Atletico are allegedly planning to make an attempt to sign Thuram on a free transfer this summer. body check tags ::
