Borussia Monchengladbach sporting director Max Eberl accepts that Andreas Christensen is heading back to Chelsea this summer, but the deal-maker is not prepared to give up completely on the possibility of the defender returning to Borussia-Park.

Christensen is approaching the end of a two-year loan spell at Gladbach, with Chelsea having monitored his development and progress in the Bundesliga closely.




Gladbach had been hoping to do a deal with Chelsea to keep the Dane, but Eberl accepts Christensen is now going back to the English champions.

But he insists he can see a potential route by which the defender's return to the club becomes possible.
 


"We'll lose him, because he must go back", the sporting director told Kicker.

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"But if he does pre-season at Chelsea and then does not play the role that he imagines, we have as a club, where he gained two years of good experience, a chance to talk again.

"That is why I say he has to go back, but that is only one fact.

"We have to expect the departure, but with arrivals we have to play with it, that is, do we wait for him or do we not wait for him?

"It could also be that he plays.

"Or maybe they want to sell him for €25m – then we would be out", Eberl explained.

The sporting director insists that given Christensen feels happy at Gladbach, the defender would be ready to stay.

However, he also accepts that Chelsea will now need a bigger squad of players given they will be back in the Champions League next term, something which could see Christensen kept at Stamford Bridge.

"But there are still these opportunities because Andreas feels incredibly comfortable at Gladbach and he, I think, would like to stay at Gladbach.

"He would also like to be a regular at Chelsea, but they have just become champions and are planning for the Champions League, and also want to achieve something in the new season.

"There are several factors I am maybe talking about.

"In any case, Andreas feels very comfortable at Gladbach", Eberl added.

Gladbach currently sit in ninth spot in the Bundesliga with just one game left to play in the season.