Chelsea Transfer News: Niklas Sule Interest Confirmed Amid Liverpool Rumours

Chelsea target Niklas Sule reportedly turned down a whole host of offers this summer from clubs such as Liverpool, Napoli and Borussia Dortmund.

According to German outlet Sport Bild (h/t Dipesh Agarwal of Sport Witness), the Hoffenheim star said: "I need familiar surroundings and need to constantly play at my level to develop even further."

Meanwhile, per Bild (h/t Agarwal), the Blues are also long-term admirers, with Sule's agent Karlheinz Forster confirming as much: "Yes, there was interest."

He added: "The English have made it clear that their interest will remain valid next year." 

The 21-year-old centre-back is one of the Bundesliga's rising stars, and the youngster enjoyed an outstanding campaign last year. Here are some of his highlights:

And here are his stats, courtesy of Squawka:

	Sule
Apps	33
Minutes	2,970
Tackles	35
Aerial Duels	55
Interceptions	63
Blocks	29
Clearances	205
Pass Completion	86%

Sule is a tall, powerful defender who excels in outmuscling opponents and winning the ball. DW Sport's Stefan Bienkowski commented on his imposing frame during his outings for Germany at the 2016 Rio Olympics:

Meanwhile, football writer Clark Whitney believed he was one of Die Mannschaft's brightest players and made note of the kind of passes Sule is increasingly making:

As such, it's not hard to see why he attracted so much interest in the summer and why Chelsea will continue to monitor him.

The Blues desperately needed reinforcements in central defence, but after failing to land anyone they resorted to a deadline-day bid for former player David Luiz—a wholly uninspiring choice given his proclivity for losing concentration and making catastrophic errors.

John Terry will be 36 in December, and the Blues need a solid long-term replacement for their club captain—it would not be a surprise if they made an offer for Sule next summer. With an extra campaign under his belt, he may be willing to move by then.