Chelsea are preparing to have a very busy summer in the transfer market, with two high profile signings being heavily considered.
The first of these signings is Sevilla defender Jules Kounde, who Chelsea have previously had a bid rejected for in an effort to find the long term replacement for the likely outgoing Antonio Rudiger.
The second of these is the highly sough after talent of Jude Bellingham, who has been lighting up the Bundesliga and Champions League since he swapped Birmingham for Borussia Dortmund in summer 2020.
Speaking on Episode 61 of The Si & Dan Talk Chelsea Podcast, Dean Jones, who is a football transfer insider, spoke about Chelsea’s situation regarding both players.
On Kounde, he said: “Chelsea are definitely still talking to Sevilla for Jules Kounde. Not necessarily for January but to start sorting out an agreement for the summer.”
Chelsea are likely to lose three of their key defenders this season, with the aforementioned Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, and Cesar Azpilicueta all out of contract in the coming summer. Therefore leaving Chelsea will a massive shortage in defensive numbers.
This is why they seem so keen to sign Kounde, who is highly rated from his exploits with Sevilla when playing as a central defender. The 23-year-old can play right-back, and has mainly done so in the French national team. But the resulting performances in the position have been mixed at best.
Then speaking about 18-year-old Bellingham, Jones said: “Jude Bellingham is someone Chelsea have on their radar for the summer.”
Bellingham is a player who fans of the Premier League would no doubt love to see, all the more if he is at their team. He showcased his considerable talent with a dominating display against Manchester City last season in the Champions League knockout rounds where he ran the midfield against one of the modern games best midfield setups under the tutelage of Pep Guardiola no less.
As per transfermarkt, Bellingham holds an estimated market value of £67.5m so any fee Chelsea try to pay for him would need to be a sizeable one.
Both signings would improve the current roster of the Chelsea squad, with Kounde adding his defensive expertise and replacing those which will likely be lost in the summer, and Bellingham adding flair and technical brilliance to Chelsea’s centre midfield.