Transfer News: Chelsea haven’t backed away from targeting Sevilla’s Jules Kounde
According to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano on Twitter, Chelsea are still in the race to sign talented central defender Jules Kounde from Sevilla.
Kounde has performed pretty well throughout the ongoing campaign. By being rock solid at the back in the 40 appearances he made this term, Kounde has become a crucial member of this Sevilla squad. The French defender has also scored two goals and assisted one along the way.
Chelsea have been heavily interested in signing Kounde for a long time. However, their desire to sign the 23-year-old has become heightened in recent times because of the contract problem they faced with crucial defenders.
Chelsea’s central defensive duo, Antonio Rüdiger & Andreas Christensen, are set to exit the club in the coming summer transfer window. Their departure could create a huge void that the West London team’s board is eyeing to fill by bringing in defensive reinforcements at the earliest.
Despite having 3-4 other options in mind, Chelsea remain heavily interested in Kounde, whose release clause is set at €80m by Sevilla.
Should Chelsea sign Kounde?
Having top defenders like Rüdiger & Christensen here under Tuchel, the Blues had a stable defensive lineup with significant depth. But with the duo set to leave this summer, Chelsea have a big headache on their hands. This issue is compounded by Thiago Silva’s age and Malang Sarr’s relative inexperience. The latter has failed to put in consistent performances this term.
Kounde, on the other hand, has made himself a regular for a top La Liga club. The ex-Girondins de Bordeaux defender is an able player on the ball but truly excels when he is off it. His reading of the game and defensive judgement make him a useful asset for any team to possess.
Kounde’s release clause makes him a pretty expensive transfer target for any team, let alone Chelsea. In an ideal situation, fans wouldn’t have minded if the Blues board waited for another season or two, putting pressure on Sevilla.
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However, considering the defensive gap that is about to emerge after the departure of two essential defenders, Chelsea have to make a move soon. But it remains to be seen what the financial aspects of this deal are and if it is feasible for the club.
That is because last summer, we were very close to bringing in Kounde, only for Sevilla to increase their demand at the last minute.
