Freiburg sporting director Klemens Hartenbach has addressed speculation surrounding Luca Waldschmidt's future at the club, insisting Chelsea have not been in touch to discuss a potential deal for the striker.
Waldschmidt began his career at Eintracht Frankfurt, and spent two years in the first team before being snapped up by Hamburg.
The German frontman committed to a four-year contract at Volksparkstadion, but never quite managed to live up to his potential, and was eventually sold when Freiburg triggered the €5 million release clause in his contract in 2018.
The 23-year-old has since racked up 48 appearances across all competitions for Freiburg, scoring 14 goals, while also earning three caps at international level for Germany.
It has been reported that Chelsea are planning to launch a €23 million (£20m/$25m) swoop for Waldschmidt when the transfer market reopens, as Frank Lampard looks to bolster his attacking ranks at Stamford Bridge.
Hartenbach acknowledges the fact that a prized asset is attracting plenty of attention from a number of top clubs, but says the Blues have yet to make contact over a possible transfer.
"It is clear that Luca is rightly interesting for other clubs," the Freiburg chief told Bild:
"But in that case, there has been no contact. We don't know anything about it."
Waldschmidt was compared with legendary former West Germany striker Gerd Muller after his performances at the 2019 European Under-21 Championship in Italy.
The former Hamburg starlet hit seven goals in four games during the tournament, which ultimately led to Joachim Low offering him the chance to step up onto the senior international stage.
Chelsea still have plenty of time to submit an official bid for Waldschmidt, with the summer transfer window likely to be moved due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Lampard may be short on firepower depending on what happens regarding the futures of Olivier Giroud and Michy Batshuayi.
Giroud was wanted by Inter during the January transfer window, but talks have started regarding an extension at Stamford Bridge, while Batshuayi has one year remaining on his deal.
