Chelsea face Premier League fight for PSG starlet Axel Tape as new club moves ahead in race to seal free transfer

Paris Saint-Germain’s 17-year-old centre-back Axel Tape is poised to leave the club at the end of the season after failing to agree terms on his first professional contract. Despite PSG's efforts to keep him, Tape has reportedly made up his mind to move on.
According to Sport Zone, Bayer Leverkusen are currently leading the race to sign the young centre-back on a free transfer. With Jonathan Tah expected to depart this summer, the Bundesliga side are offering an immediate route into the first team.

Sports Zone reported that Chelsea, Tottenham, and Bournemouth have also shown interest. The Blues have a development plan in place that would involve signing Tape and loaning him to their partner club Strasbourg in Ligue 1 for the 2025–26 season. However, the plan to send him on loan could delay his Premier League impact, which may turn his head toward Leverkusen.
The 17-year-old defender's exit is a blow to Les Parisiens' long-term plans, especially as he only just broke into the senior side. He’s already started matches in both Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France, showing promise as a composed and athletic defender.

Tape, who played the full 90 minutes in Ligue 1 matches against Strasbourg and Montpellier this season, is following a familiar path taken by former PSG academy talents like Tanguy Nianzou and Christopher Nkunku, who left the club for more game time.

With the young French defender set to leave PSG, his decision now hinges on choosing between immediate first-team chances at Leverkusen or development-based offers from Premier League clubs. Chelsea must act quickly if they want to convince the defender that their loan plan via Strasbourg will better serve his long-term future.