Chelsea could face paying a higher price for Jules Koundé thanks to their London neighbours Tottenham.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the Blues have made Koundé their prime defensive target in a surprise move.
Thomas Tuchel already has a strong centre-back class at his disposal, but he and director Marina Granovskaia appear to be keen to strengthen further.
MORE: Chelsea make Koundé prime defensive target
And so Koundé appears to be the man, but Chelsea may not find themselves paying more for the centre-back.
As things stand, Koundé has a release clause of €80million, and should Chelsea meet that clause, Sevilla cannot stand in the way of a move.
But it seems unlikely the Blues will pay that figure without trying to negotiate a reduced fee for the Frenchman.
A reduced fee may well be on the cards given Sevilla need to raise money in order to spend it this summer due to the impact of the pandemic.
But the Andalusian club may not be as flexible as earlier this summer thanks to Tottenham.
On Monday, Spurs announced a deal that will see Bryan Gil arrive in north London for Erik Lamela and €25million.
That €25million is a welcome boost for Sevilla chief Monchi and head coach Julen Lopetegui, and it means they can play hardball over Koundé.
Whether that means the full release clause will be demanded remains to be seen, but it does strengthen Sevilla’s hand, especially with the centre-back under contract until 2024 and with Real Madrid likely to chase a centre-back next summer.