Borussia Monchengladbach are keen to retain the services of Chelsea's Andreas Christensen - even if they have to sign him on season-long loan deals for the foreseeable future.
German news outlet Sport Bild claim that the Bundesliga club are eager to keep hold of the defender, but any deal to bring Christensen to Germany permanently is unlikely to come to fruition.
The club's director of sport, Max Eberl, believes that Chelsea would be willing to allow Gladbach to take Christensen on loan again in the coming years, but questioned whether the Stamford Bridge-based side would look to part with the centre-half for any hard sum of cash.
Gladbach will try and secure the loan of defender Andreas Christensen from #CFC for the third time, Max Eberl confirms (@SPORTBILD) pic.twitter.com/csDl8JAqiW
He said: "I can not imagine that Chelsea would sell him to me. But maybe we are able to loan him again for another year or two.
"If we could have him for three or four years “ without a fee “ that would also be a great story."
Barcelona and Bayern Munich are also believed to be keeping tabs on Christensen after his sterling form for Gladbach over the past 12 months.
Christensen was shipped out on loan to Gladbach for another season after he enjoyed a season-long loan spell with the German outfit during 2015/16.
The 20-year-old made 39 appearances in all competitions last term as he helped Gladbach reach the Champions League group stages once more, and has featured in 11 of their 13 matches so far during the 2016/17 campaign.
Christensen was originally brought to London in the summer of 2012 after Chelsea agreed to bring him in on a free transfer from Danish side Brondby FC.
However, the centre-half has made just three appearances in the past four seasons for his parent club, with those occasions coming in the Premier League against Sunderland in May 2015, as well as cup appearances against Bradford City and Shrewsbury Town in January 2015 and October 2014 respectively.
Capped 10 times by Denmark at senior international level, Christensen also beat former Gladbach team-mate Granit Xhaka to the club's Player of the Season last season after his impressive displays at the heart of the German side's defence.
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