Chelsea are reportedly ready to rival Manchester United in pursuit of Sevilla’s in-demand centre-back Jules Kounde this summer.
According to La Colina de Nervion, Premier League giants Chelsea and Manchester United could potentially indulge themselves in a transfer duel in pursuit of Jules Kounde this summer. The Sevilla centre-back has emerged as one of the most in-demand prospects in the market, attracting interest from a host of top across Europe.
Chelsea, in particular, have the cash to burn despite the spending spree last summer as Roman Abramovich looks to supplement Thomas Tuchel with the right amount of players. Kounde, as a result, has emerged as one of the top targets in the upcoming summer transfer window, although the Blues are set to provide stiff competition to league rivals Manchester United, among others.
Such hype surrounding Kounde is hardly surprising, though, as the youngster has proven to become one of Europe’s rising stars this season, creating a formidable defensive partnership alongside Diego Carlos, who himself is reportedly a target for many clubs including Real Madrid and Liverpool.
Jules Koundé misplaced just one pass against Atlético Madrid and did not commit a single foul:
◉ 79 passes attempted
◉ 78 passes completed
◉ 8 duels won
◉ 6 aerial duels won
◉ 6 clearances
◉ 0 fouls conceded
◉ 0 goals conceded#SquawkaScout pic.twitter.com/IYuAgOUf1o— Squawka Football (@Squawka) April 4, 2021
A product of the Bordeaux youth academy, Kounde’s seamless technical prowess combined with his game-reading ability could be useful for a Chelsea side that has enjoyed a significant improvement in the defensive record since the arrival of Tuchel.
The German tactician prefers technically astute players who can contribute to the build-up. That is where Kounde could prove to be an excellent addition at the heart of the Chelsea defence, alongside someone like Andreas Christensen as both the players have excellent technical prowess.
From a sporting perspective, Kounde can serve as a long-term replacement for the ageing Thiago Silva while Chelsea are also expected to offload Fikayo Tomori, who is currently on loan at AC Milan.
Manchester United, though, could also make a strong case for Kounde as they have enjoyed a massive improvement under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, emerging as the second-best team in England. They are also searching for a new defender and potentially, a replacement for Eric Bailly.
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However, both Chelsea and Manchester United may have to dig deep in their pockets to be able to afford Kounde, though it may serve as a blessing in disguise as it effectively leaves club like Barcelona, Atletico and even Bayern Munich out of the equation. It will be interesting to see how this transfer saga takes shape this summer.
