Chelsea have held talks for RB Leipzig defender Marcel Halstenberg.

Sky Deutschland says Chelsea held concrete talks with Halstenberg, with a view to bringing him in as Antonio Rudiger's replacement.

However, Halstenberg, who can play left-back or left centre-back, has instead decided to extent his stay in Germany by putting pen to paper on a new two-year extension, which leaves the Blues exploring other options once again.

Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel faces a daunting defensive rebuild this summer as Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta all prepare to make way. While a number of big names have been mentioned, one that flew under the radar is Halstenberg.

The 30-year-old is a versatile defender who has been a regular for Leipzig over the past six seasons, despite being struck down by a long-term injury last campaign.