Chelsea remain keen on Jules Kounde but will have come to an agreement with Sevilla as well as decide the futures of players such as Kurt Zouma.
According to Spanish outlet ABC Sevilla, as relayed by Sport Witness, Joules Kounde remains hopeful of completing a move to Chelsea this summer, although both clubs are yet to agree on terms for the defender. Sevilla, are still waiting on a reasonable offer that comes close to their valuation of the defender, with a previous bid rejected out of hand.
Jules Kounde emerged as Chelsea’s top defensive target a few weeks ago, but the west London club are yet to make a considerable offer. They had already submitted a proposal involving €30 million cash plus Kurt Zouma, which was rejected. Sevilla like the player involved but deemed the cash offer to be unacceptable.
Early in this window, the Spanish side were demanding for Kounde’s €80 million release clause to be paid, although they are currently open to offers for a lower fee. While Chelsea got busy finalising a big-money move for Inter Milan striker Romelu Lukaku, the Kounde deal was put on the backburner.
There is a feeling from the Chelsea board for the need to sign the defender heading into the new season, but they are yet to decide if they want to make a huge offer for the Frenchman. After a considerable outlay on Lukaku, the Blues may need to sell first before funding new moves.
While the Frenchman is keen on a move away from the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium and confident of joining Chelsea, Sevilla feel they are in a position of strength when it comes to negotiations. They had reportedly rejected a massive €55 million bid from Manchester City last summer, which indicates they might want more in this window.
Additionally, the situation of Kurt Zouma might also be hindering the deal for Kounde, as the defender initially indicated a willingness to move away from the Premier League club. There might be some interest from England as well, with Everton seemingly showing some level of interest, although Thomas Tuchel does not necessarily have problems keeping him on at Stamford Bridge.
However, Tuchel considers Kounde a considerable upgrade over Zouma and might give his green light over a sale. The Chelsea defender’s camp are now denying he rejected a move to Sevilla and he apparently remains open to ideas. Things are expected to clear up as we approach the end of this transfer window.
Also Read: Jules Kounde to Chelsea – Is the Sevilla defender worth €80 million?
Chelsea have the financial power to make a big move happen for the French defender, and if they sign him in addition to Lukaku, they will have had a good window so far. However, how much Sevilla will demand for the defender remains to be seen and apart from whether Zouma makes the move the other way.
