Report: Chelsea handed a major boost in their pursuit of La Liga defender

Transfer news: Chelsea have been handed a major boost in their pursuit of Jules Kounde

Fabrizio Romano on Twitter provided a major boost for Chelsea as the London club continue their efforts to bring Sevilla defender Jules Kounde to Stamford Bridge. The Blues are rivalled by La Liga side Barcelona in the race for the French international’s signature.

Chelsea have been interested in Kounde for a long time now. The Blues are in dire need of defensive reinforcements having seen starters Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen depart the club this summer.

Kounde joined Sevilla in 2019 from the French side FC Girondins Bordeaux and has gone on to make 95 league appearances for the Rojiblancos, scoring five goals and assisting three in the process. But now it seems he could be on his way out, with Chelsea interested in the 23-year-old.

The saga to end?

The Blues are yet to make a signing this summer, though have seen an exodus of players. Kounde would be available for a fee of around £60 million, as Sevilla too needs funds to overhaul their squad. A centre-back by trade, Kounde can also play in the right-back and left-back positions.

A right-footed centre-back, he could play on the right-hand side defence of Thomas Tuchel’s 3-4-2-1 formation. Tuchel needs to reinforce his defence following an underwhelming last season when they were expected to challenge for the League but ended up third in the table.

Kounde would be an ideal player for Chelsea. He has amassed huge playing experience at the top level of the game at just the age of 23. He could not only help solve the current defensive problems to a certain extent but could potentially lead the line for many years to come.

Meanwhile, Chelsea have also been linked with a move for Juventus defender Matthijs de Ligt and Manchester City’s Nathan Ake. Tuchel will hope to solve this problem as fast as possible with pre-season around the corner. A move for any of the players mentioned will not come cheap or easy and Chelsea must be prepared to not give in when the time comes.

More Chelsea News

• Transfer News: Barcelona want to lure Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso from Chelsea for €20M
• Chelsea make enquiry about Cristiano Ronaldo transfer situation at Manchester United
• Juventus reveal their stance regarding the transfer of Chelsea target Matthijs de Ligt

It remains to be seen if Kounde plays for Chelsea or some other team next season. However, the faster they can secure his signature the better for all involved.