Chelsea Transfer News: Niklas Sule Expected to Join Bayern Munich, Fresh Rumours

Chelsea's pursuit of Hoffenheim's Niklas Sule could be at an end as the centre-back has reportedly agreed to join Bayern Munich rather than move to Stamford Bridge. 

According to Bild (via ESPN FC's Michael Wade), the 21-year-old has agreed a five-year deal with the Bundesliga giants and will move to the Allianz Arena for £17.5 million.

Per Kicker (via German football writer Stefan Bienkowski), Chelsea offered Hoffenheim a similar fee in an attempt to snap up the Germany international, but he has opted to join Bayern instead:

Sule is one of the most accomplished young centre-backs in Europe and has started all but one of Hoffenheim's 16 league games so far this season as they have gone unbeaten in the 2016-17 campaign.

A powerful defender, Sule is exactly the kind of young centre-back Blues manager Antonio Conte could do with in his squad to bolster his back line.

Chelsea have been brilliant defensively since Conte switched to playing three at the back, but their lack of depth is alarming.

Outside of current starting trio Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz and Gary Cahill, the Italian manager has little to call upon other than the recently recovered Kurt Zouma, 22.

Alternative options include John Terry, 36, and 32-year-old Branislav Ivanovic, both of whom are some way past their best and unlikely to be at Stamford Bridge much longer.

Conte reportedly only brought Luiz back to Chelsea in the summer after trying and failing to sign four other centre-backs—Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly, Juventus' Leonardo Bonucci, AC Milan's Alessio Romagnoli and Paris Saint-Germain's Presnel Kimpembe—per L'Equipe (h/t The Sun's Duncan Wright).

The mercurial Brazilian has been excellent for much of the 2016-17 campaign, but he has in the past shown that he can be inconsistent.

Chelsea and Conte need added depth in the back line as an injury to one or more of their first-choice trio could deal a big blow to their Premier League title hopes.

However, it looks as though the west London club have been frustrated in their pursuit of Sule and will need to look elsewhere.