Chelsea have reportedly reinitiated contact to sign 23-year-old French international Jules Kounde from Sevilla.
According to Spanish outlet ABC Sevilla, Chelsea have reopened negotiations to sign Jules Kounde from Sevilla. The Blues were once the front-runners for the 23-year-old French international’s signature, but delay in proceedings forced them to look away from Kounde.
Thomas Tuchel is massively short-staffed in the defensive department. Antonio Rudiger has joined Real Madrid on a free transfer after running down his contract with Chelsea. Meanwhile, Danish defender Andreas Christensen is on the verge of joining Barcelona.
Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso have both just a year remaining on their respective contracts with the club. Talks of a possible renewal are yet to materialise and the Spanish duo has also been linked with moves to Barcelona.
Thus, adding defensive reinforcements is on top of Chelsea’s priority list, and they have been linked with a host of players. Kounde was among the first names to be connected with a move to Stamford Bridge. The club had made a summer move for the Frenchman last year as well, but Sevilla thwarted their advancements.
The Blues returned with another offer this summer, but the Andalusian club’s demands, coupled with Barcelona’s interest in the player, has been delaying the move. They, thus, turned their attention towards other players and are currently in talks to sign Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt as well.
The London outfit have now returned to initiate discussions for Kounde’s transfer. Chelsea are eager to get the move through as soon as possible and are thus prepared to get closer to Sevilla’s demands. Earlier reports had claimed that the Spanish club rate the defender at around €65 million.
The Blues have started making moves in the transfer market after a slow start due to the ownership situation at the club. Chelsea are reportedly set to sign Raphinha from Leeds United, beating the likes of Arsenal and Barcelona to his signature. Juventus’s de Ligt is also reportedly keen to join Chelsea, but they are yet to agree on a transfer fee with the Bianconeri. As for Kounde, it will be interesting to see if he becomes a priority target again.
