Chelsea plot £18m bid for Bayern Munich striker

Chelsea are reportedly preparing an £18 million bid for Bayern Munich forward Mario Mandzukic, who has also attracted interest from Premier League rivals Arsenal and Spanish club Atletico Madrid, according to the Express.

With the arrival of Robert Lewandowski from Borussia Dortmund, Mandzukic has been strongly linked with a move away from the Allianz Arena this summer, whose first-team role with the German champions remains uncertain.

The Croatian international has been targeted by Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who is desperately looking to bolster his squad for the next season after disappointing performance last term.

Despite recently signing Diego Costa from Atletico Madrid, the Spanish side are now aiming to lure Mandzukic to the Vicente Calderon in order to fill the void space to their front-line.

However, Mourinho is ready to pay big money for the 28-year-old striker in bringing the player to Stamford Bridge this summer.

Since 2012, Mandzukic has established himself as one of a key players for the Bavarians, scoring 48 goals in 88 appearances for the Bundesliga giants over the past couple of years.

Arsenal are also thought to be interested in Mandzukic’s signature in order to boost Olivier Giroud’s performance at the Emirates Stadium next season.