It is being reported that Marcel Halstenberg has signed a new deal with RB Leipzig, despite interest from Chelsea.
According to Sky Germany, the 30-year-old has extended his stay with the German side despite originally hesitating to agree terms.
The defender, who has nine appearances for the German national team, has been with Leipzig since 2015, notably reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2020.
Halstenberg was part of Germany’s Euro 2020 squad, featuring in the 4-2 victory over Portugal. He made his debut for the team under Joachim Low in 2017.
The left-back would potentially have been a replacement for Marcos Alonso, with reports swirling that the Spaniard is set for a move to Stamford Bridge. The Blues had already missed out on the opportunity to secure Croatian Ivan Perisic on a free transfer, as his move to Tottenham Hotspur was confirmed last week.
However, Sky Germany claimed Halstenberg had held ‘concrete talks’ with Thomas Tuchel’s side, before his current side’s dramatic victory in the DFB cup final.
The German was one of two players sent off for Leipzig against SC Freiburg, as they went on to win the tournament on penalties.
The decision for Halstenburg to extend his time at Domenico Tedesco’s side could impact their stance on Josko Gvardiol.
It has already been reported the 20-year-old is a player the Blues are keen on bringing in this summer, as they look to address the potential defensive exodus at the club.
Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta have been speculated to join Antonio Rudiger as departures from Stamford Bridge this summer.
It appears Chelsea are still keeping their options open in terms of potential replacements, with interest in Sevilla’s Joules Kounde heavily reported. The club will also have the opportunity to utilise 19-year-old Levi Colwill, as he returns from his loan spell at Huddersfield Town.