Antonio Conte will only let Andreas Christensen leave Chelsea for Borussia Monchengladbach permanently if he can convince Leonardo Bonucci to join his Chelsea revolution, according to theMirror.
Christensen, 20, has impressed during his loan spell at the Bundesliga club over the last season and a half,and both parties are keen to make the deal permanent, but Conte is refusing to sanction it unless he lands key target Bonucci, whom he coached at Juventus.
Essentially, Christensen will have to wait and see if Chelsea can sign Bonucci for a fee reported to be around £60m before he can seal his switch to Monchengladbach.
Andreas Christensen unsure of Chelsea future as Bonucci switch hangs in balance https://t.co/PErQbSH4Eu
However, the report claims that Pep Guardiola is also stepping up his search for a reliable central defender and is a keen admirer of Bonucci, meaning he may challenge Conte in a scramble for his signature.
Christensen only managed three senior appearances at Stamford Bridge before joining Monchengladbach last season on loan. After firmly establishing himself as a rising talent in Germany during the previous campaign, he has continued to impress recently, leading Monchengladbach to inform Chelsea of their desire to keep him.
Bonucci, who is currently injured and not expected back until mid-January, has long been a target for Premier League clubs, but Conte's close relationship with the player dating back to their time together at the Serie A giants and for the Italian national teammay give him the edge on Guardiola.
Bonucci has won five Scudetti in a row in Italy and, with 67 caps under his belt for the Azzurri, would bring a vast level of experience to either Chelsea and City.
Conte is wary that John Terry's time as a Chelsea player is coming to an end and is hoping to secure a long-term replacement for the club captain.