Chelsea have been in the hunt to sign Sevilla defender Jules Kounde for quite some time, and despite missing out on him last year, this summer looks to finally be the time that the Blues get their man.
Kounde, 23, has been a long-standing defensive target for Thomas Tuchel, and although the Londoners agreed to personal terms with him last summer, a move ultimately failed to materialise, leaving the France international with no choice but to continue in Spain.
Speaking at the time about Kounde’s failed transfer to Stamford Bridge, Sevilla president Jose Castro, who spoke to media, as quoted by the club’s official website, said: “We’re all in losses this year, but we would have posted a profit had we sold Koundé. Our decision not to sell shows how strong we are economically.”
However, one year on and the 23-year-old is as close to leaving the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium as he has ever been.
According to a recent report from leading transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, Todd Boehly’s Blues sent over the proposed deal’s paperwork during the early hours of Friday morning in the hope of finally completing a £55m deal.
Chelsea have sent paperworks to Sevilla for Koundé deal during the night, pushing to get it over the line. Details after bid on Wednesday: £55m deal, 5 year contract. ?? #CFC
Chelsea, still waiting for Sevilla’s final approval to avoid new attempts from Barcelona today. pic.twitter.com/ENyludBTSS
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 22, 2022
Jules Kounde to Chelsea?
Should the Premier League giants finally land their top target, it will send a huge signal of intent to the rest of Europe.
The Blues are desperate for defensive reinforcements after Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger both departed earlier in the summer on free transfers after failing to extend their contracts, so Kounde would prove to be an excellent addition.
The young defender is also a player who is still nowhere near his peak, so Tuchel will have plenty of time to mould him into the type of defender he wants him to be. Not only that, but he is incredibly versatile and can play in virtually any position across a team’s back four or five.