Jules Kounde is reportedly on the verge of completing a £55 million move to Chelsea, leaving Barcelona to look for alternatives in the market.
According to a report by Daily Telegraph, Jules Kounde is set to become the third signing of the summer transfer window for Chelsea. The west London club will sign the Sevilla defender in a deal worth £55 million, leaving Barcelona to go back to the drawing board to identify alternatives.
Jules Kounde has been mired in the latest transfer saga that will soon find its conclusion. The summer transfer window has been epitomised by long-dragging stories, most of them involving Barcelona. But after signing Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich and beating Chelsea in the race to land Raphinha, the Catalan giants have lost the chase for Kounde.
The 23-year-old has been one of the best defenders in La Liga in the last three years, making 133 appearances for Sevilla. But Kounde has played his final game for the Andalusian club, with Chelsea and Barcelona waging a battle to secure his services ahead of the 2022/23 season.
Andreas Christensen has already bolstered Barcelona’s central defensive unit. But signing the ex-Chelsea defender will not be enough for the Blaugrana as Gerard Pique is in the twilight of his career. At the same time, Samuel Umtiti and Oscar Mingueza do not feature in Xavi Hernandez’s plans, with Barcelona deeming the duo surplus to requirements.
Kounde had thus emerged as a viable target for Barcelona, who had been trying different ways to prise him away from Sevilla. But the Catalan giants have lost the race to sign the French defender, with Chelsea on the verge of completing a £55 million deal for him.
Chelsea had been chasing Kounde for over twelve months. And after coming close to securing his services last summer, the Blues have finally got their man after agreeing to a £55 million deal with Sevilla. And Kounde has now given the green light to join Chelsea.
The French international will become the third signing of the summer transfer window for Chelsea and the second centre-back to arrive at Stamford Bridge after Kalidou Koulibaly. As for Barcelona, the Blaugrana will have to re-enter the market to identify alternatives, with Aymeric Laporte reportedly one of the options on their radar.
