Chelsea reportedly see Sevilla defender Jules Kounde as a priority in the transfer market, with a move in January or next summer likely on the cards.
That’s the information provided by the London Evening Standard, who report on Chelsea’s failed attempts to sign Kounde in the summer window just gone after selling club Sevilla moved the goalposts late in the day.
The report claims that Chelsea WILL return for Kounde, with the Frenchman considered a priority by the club and Thomas Tuchel. Whether that will be in January or next summer is yet to be determined.
Chelsea could afford to miss out on Kounde this summer, with Tuchel having a wealth of options at his disposal in defence, particularly after Trevoh Chalobah joined the first-team after a successful pre-season.
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However, Kounde is one of the most promising young defenders on the planet. If Chelsea were able to secure his services, they’d be bagging themselves a potential future star of the game.
It’s also worth noting that Thiago Silva, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta are all in the final 12 months of their Chelsea contracts. The situation is rather precarious.
Chelsea are unlikely to allow them all to walk out the door, but acquiring Kounde would provide them with a contingency plan in case of any departures, so perhaps it would make sense to try and do this deal in January.
Clubs are often unwilling to part ways with key members of the squad midway through the season, but as is reported by the London Evening Standard, Kounde has a £68m release clause – it’s just a matter of paying it.