Chelsea Transfer News: Blues' Initial Offer for Germany Forward Rejected

Chelsea have had an offer of over £16mn turned down for forward Andre Schurrle by Bayern Leverkusen.

The 21-year-old, who was part of Joachim Low's Euro 2012 squad, is one of the most sought after talents in the Bundesliga and has been linked to the Blues for some time. The European Champions have finally tabled an offer for him but Leverkusen have decided to keep hold of their star man for now.

"We were presented with a very concrete offer from Chelsea for Andre of beyond the €20 million mark. The sum was pushed back and forth between the two clubs, but we eventually opted to hold on to Andre. Andre is very valuable for us on the pitch. He has also made it very clear that he is happy to stay with us," ESPN quoted Leverkusen CEO Wolfgang Holzhauser as saying.

Schurrle scored nine goals for Leverkusen last term, playing on the wings. He can also operate as the main striker and had netted 15 league goals for his former club Mainz during the 2010/11 season.

The player is known for his fantastic dribbling ability and on his day, he can humiliate defenders. His movements on-and-off the ball, passing, technique and work-rate are considered top-notch. And though Schurrle's finishing has not been efficient for his club last season, he was taking his chances for Germany, scoring seven times in 16 appearances.

Azpilicueta back on Chelsea radar

Meanwhile, Chelsea have reignited their interest in Marseille full-back Cesar Azpilicueta, reports the Metro.

The Blues were linked with a move for the Spaniard during the January transfer window, but a move did not materialise. However, the 22-year-old is back on their radar after some impressive performances for the Ligue 1 outfit last season, which saw him earning a call-up to Spain's team for the London Olympics.

The European Champions are in search for a right-back after Jose Bosingwa left the club in the summer, with doubts regarding squad player Paulo Ferreira's future. They have been linked to Inter Milan's Maicon and Lille's Mathieu Debuchy recently but the report says that Azpilicueta has now emerged as their top target.

Roberto Di Matteo has reportedly contacted Marseille to enquire about the availability of the player. Azpilicueta moved to the Stade Velodrome from Osasuna in 2010.