Jules Kounde is reportedly in advanced talks to sign for Barcelona, amid Chelsea links.
Chelsea's new owner Todd Boehly is set to back Thomas Tuchel in the transfer market, with the club currently being linked with a host of names every day.
The Blues remain hopeful of signing Kounde this summer, with the Sevilla defender favouring a switch to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea have had the France international on their radar for some time now.
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Personal terms have been agreed with Kounde for a while, football.london understands, but a deal still needs to be struck with Sevilla to sanction the Frenchman's sale. With Andreas Christensen moving on and the possibility of Cesar Azpilicueta following suit, Tuchel needs a new right centre-back to rotate with Trevoh Chalobah in his back-three.
However, they've received a setback as things stand. As per the Daily Mail, Chelsea could miss out on long-term target Jules Kounde who is reportedly in advanced talks with a move to Barcelona.
The Sevilla defender has been Thomas Tuchel's top target for the past year having seen a deal collapse for the 23-year-old last summer when the two clubs were unable to agree on a fee.
Chelsea have been determined to secure the signing of Kounde for quite some time, so it would be devastating if they were to miss out on the Frenchman to Barcelona. Time will tell, but it's a deal the club will want to get over the line before the start of the season in early August.
