Transfer News: Jules Kounde is eager on a move to Chelsea this summer but deal may not be so simple
According to transfer news from Spanish journalist Jose Manuel Garcia (h/t Express), Jules Kounde has asked Sevilla to agree a deal with Chelsea so as to orchestrate a move for him.
The French centre-back has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge all summer after it was understood that the player had already agreed personal terms with the West London outfit.
While all seemed to be going well with the deal, the Blues shifted their priorities elsewhere. Chelsea’s pressing need for a centre-forward led them to sign Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan in a club-record deal worth £97.5million.
Moreover, the Blues’ initial deal with Sevilla also included Kurt Zouma going the other way in a cash-plus-player deal for Kounde. However, Zouma disagreed with this deal as he preferred a move to England rather than Spain.
Sevilla are open to selling Kounde as they have never forced players to stay at their club, while their recruitment model also functions around selling players for a high profit. However, the Spanish outfit are not keen on offloading him at a reduced price either.
Sevilla understand that they are well within their rights to ask for £60million for Kounde, especially since he still has three years remaining on his contract. The 22-year-old Frenchman, however, has called on the club to strike an agreement with Chelsea as he pushes for a move.
Despite this, a deal could be problematic as Chelsea might not be as keen on signing the player anymore, especially such a high fee. The Blues, who already have an emerging star in Trevoh Chalobah, may not feel the need to spend such a big amount on a defender they might not need.
Alternatively, the London club might also rekindle their interest in Kounde again next summer as Thiago Silva is in the final year of his contract. Then there is also the scenario where Zouma could still be sold this summer, which would force the Blues to consider signing Kounde.
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Thus, there are a lot of factors into play for signing the Frenchman, courtesy of which only time will tell whether the Blues actually do sign the 22-year-old this summer.