Rumour: Chelsea preparing £18m bid for Bayern Munich striker Mario Mandzukic

Mario Mandzukic in action for the Croatian national team

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is preparing an £18 million bid for Bayern Munich striker Mario Mandzukic, but he will have to fend off competition from Atletico Madrid who are also keen on the Croatian.

Mandzukic has been sought-after by the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United, however, the latter have decided to look elsewhere for firepower.

Jose Mourinho is desperate to bolster his front-line, despite recently having brought Diego Costa to Chelsea from Atletico Madrid. With the Spanish outfit now lacking a cutting-edge striker, they are aiming to lure Mandzukic to the Vicente Calderon to bolster their front-line. However, Mourinho is preparing a bid for the Bayern forward which will disrupt Diego Simeone’s plans, according to the Express.

Mandzukic has been a key player for Bayern Munich since signing in 2012, but he seems disillusioned with life at the Allianz Arena after Pep Guardiola opted for Thomas Muller up-front in several Bundesliga games ahead of Mandzukic last season.

Not satisfied with his role on the team and with Robert Lewandowski set to arrive in summer, the Croatian seems ready to move to pastures new this summer.

Arsenal are also keeping tabs on the Croatian international and are waiting in the shadows to see what happens.