Chelsea rekindle Jules Kounde interest following Nathan Ake setback
According to the Evening Standard, Chelsea have reignited their pursuit of Jules Kounde after falling short in their efforts to land Manchester City star Nathan Ake.
The Dutchman, a former Chelsea youth talent, played an important role for Man City ever since joining them from Bournemouth in 2020. Whilst his impact on Pep Guardiola’s side cannot be understated, Ake is nowhere close to being an automatic choice in the Catalan side’s first XI.
Man City were open to the idea of selling the 27-year-old but only on their terms. Given that Chelsea are unwilling to match the asking price, the deal is now dead in the water. Rather than try to rekindle negotiations, the Blues appear to have ditched their pursuit of Ake.
With the Man City man now out of the equation, Thomas Tuchel and co are ready to explore the possibility of signing Sevilla star Jules Kounde. The Frenchman is among the best young centre-backs in Europe and has long been on Chelsea’s radar.
The Blues’ interest in the 23-year-old had gone cold in recent weeks but is now set to be reignited once again. In many ways, Kounde is a player who is not just younger than Ake but also has a higher ceiling as a player. Losing out on Ake as long as they land Kounde should be seen as a blessing in disguise.
The centre-back roster at Stamford Bridge was culled earlier this summer when Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen left for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively. With Thiago Silva the lone senior option available, Chelsea have no other option but to bring in at least two proven players in the position.
One such player who appears to be on his way to the club is Napoli superstar Kalidou Koulibaly. The Blues have already reached an agreement with the Serie A club for the 30-year-old and an announcement could be considered imminent.
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Kounde is a proven player who can develop into Chelsea’s defensive lynchpin for years to come. Securing him in the summer could prove to be the cherry on top for Tuchel’s defensive rebuild.
