Chelsea keen to negotiate Dortmund's asking price down for playmaker next month

Chelsea are not willing to match Borussia Dortmund’s demands for their top transfer target Christian Pulisic according to the Sun.

The Bundesliga leaders’ valuation of the playmaker, believed to be in the region of £70m, has already seen a number of suitors dissuaded from making a January move, with Liverpool among those to retract their interest for the time being.

The Blues won’t be matching said asking price but remain keen to negotiate a deal in the interest of avoiding a bidding war in the summer.

The USA international has just 18 months remaining on his current deal with the German outfit and his future remains uncertain having fallen down the pecking order under new manager Lucien Favre.

The 20-year-old playmaker has started just four of a possible 12 Bundesliga matches this season as the likes of Jacob Bruun Larsen and Jadon Sancho have been preferred to Pulisic so far.

The winger has been a more regular feature in the Champions League to now, starting three of four appearances and completing 3.3 dribbles per game - the fourth most of players to feature three or more times in the competition to date.

Chelsea are believed to be on the lookout for wide options with Eden Hazard still refusing to commit his future to the club.