Chelsea could sign experienced German defender for £30m

Chelsea have reportedly been told to pay up a fee of around £30m by Bayern Munich, if they are to secure the signature of Mats Hummels during the winter transfer window.

The Germany international has been with the Bavarian giants for the past two-and-a-half seasons where he has made nearly 100 appearances in all competitions.

Despite this, the centre-back is understood to be considering his future amid his reduced gametime with Niko Kovac's rotation policy and this seems to have caught the eye of the Blues.

According to The Sun, the west London side have the opportunity to prise away Hummels from the Allianz Arena next month, should they match Bayern's £30m asking price.

However, the Bundesliga holders are keen to finalise the defender's sale by January 14 at the most so that they can have sufficient time to recruit a replacement in their ranks.

Chelsea are currently holding a comfortable five-point gap over fifth-placed Arsenal in the pursuit of the Champions League position following their 1-0 win at Crystal Palace.