Chelsea have been handed a major boost in their hopes of signing Sevilla star Jules Kounde this summer, as the Spanish side may have found a replacement for the defender.
The Blues have long been linked with a move for the Frenchman, with their interest stretching back as far as last summer. It was suggested that personal terms were agreed with Kounde, only for Sevilla to up their demands over the transfer fee.
A move did not get signed off in the end, with Kounde ultimately remaining at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan. Chelsea retain their interest in the defender, though, as long-serving centre-backs Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen are set to quit Stamford Bridge this summer at the expiry of their contracts.
With the club’s protracted takeover by Todd Boehly now complete, the Blues can enter the transfer market to find replacements and Kounde is one of those on their shortlist. To that end, Chelsea's hopes of recruiting him could be dealt a major boost with Sevilla already identifying his potential replacement.
According to Spanish outlet La Colina de Nervion, the La Liga side have advanced their negotiations with Strasbourg for the signing of Alexander Djiku. It is suggested that the French side are demanding around €12million (£10.2m) for the Ghanaian.
Whilst Chelsea will be keeping a close eye on negotiations, there could be a major problem caused by Premier League rivals Manchester United. It is further reported that Unai Emery’s Villarreal also have a close eye on Djiku and could move for the centre-back should they sell Pau Torres this summer, with United circling for the highly-regarded Spaniard.
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Should the Red Devils secure Torres, that could well see Villarreal steal a march on Djiku, leaving Sevilla without their natural replacement for Kounde. Of course, the Spanish side will be keen to not leave themselves too low on central defensive options ahead of next season having already agreed to sell Diego Carlos to Aston Villa this summer.
Sevilla director of football Monchi admitted last year that Kounde was tempted by talk of a move to Stamford Bridge but the Blues did not agree to a fee.
As quoted by the Daily Express, he said: “There was a club that he liked, which was Chelsea. The first and only formal offer did not satisfy our desires and was conditional on Chelsea selling a player.
“It was an important offer, considering the current world where there are so many hardships, but it did not meet our demands, conditions, or quantities.”.
Kounde, 23, has just over two years left to run on his current Sevilla contract. He made 44 appearances for the Spanish outfit last season, finding the back of the net on three occasions.
