Bayern Munich have begun dialogue with Chelsea regarding the summer acquisition of Portugal defender Jose Bosingwa.
Bayern’s need to reinforce a right-back berth last season populated by either Christian Lell or Andreas Ottl is no secret and Bosingwa has recently emerged as a potential target.
An acknowledge of interest in the player is, as yet, as far as Bayern have gone but chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has now admitted that talks have begun.
"We are holding talks, but we still need the approval of Chelsea," Rummenigge told Kicker magazine.
"He is one of the best right full-backs around."
While a successful pursuit of Bosingwa could hinge on The Blues’ ability to recruit a suitable replacement – namely Glen Johnson – it is the potential departure of Franck Ribery that continues to steal the headlines.
"We all agree, including Franz Beckenbauer, that we will do all we can to keep hold of Franck," added Rummenigge.
"I am quite relaxed about the Ribery issue because nothing can happen without Bayern.
"Even [Louis] Van Gaal knows what an exceptional player Ribery is. Franck is one of the best three players in the world and we know what we have in him."