Chelsea are willing to let one of Enzo Maresca's favoured squad members leave this summer as they look to upgrade their squad.
Sunday's draw with Ipswich now leaves Chelsea in sixth place in the Premier League and battling for a spot in next term's Champions League, with missing out not an option for Maresca and his squad.
Such a disaster would mean more changes to the playing staff at Stamford Bridge, too, as the Chelsea hierarchy continues to work on finding the right squad balance to challenge for major trophies and in the English top flight.
Chelsea to get rid of an Enzo Maresca favourite this summer
With a number of players set to depart Chelsea in the summer, they should have plenty of money to spend on bringing in exciting new talent to the squad.
Among those departing could include a player Maresca is a particular fan of, though he will just have to make do with an arguably even better player in his place.
According to Spanish outlet Fichajes, Chelsea are prepared to battle Arsenal this summer for the signature of Barcelona defender Jules Kounde. While they would prefer to keep him, Barcelona's dire financial situation is still ongoing and could force them into a sale this summer.
The report suggests that, while it will take a considerable offer to agree a deal for Kounde, both Arsenal and Chelsea are prepared to pay €75m for the 26-year-old. He is seen as a top-quality defender ready to upgrade the side at Stamford Bridge, with his ability to play at both centre-back and right-back a key consideration as well.
Kounde still has two years remaining on his Barcelona contract, with Transfermarkt valuing him at €60m.
Kounde's arrival at Chelsea could depend on the future of Wesley Fofana, however. Though Maresca has previously highlighted that “Wes is a player that I really love, I am in love with Wes," his lack of availability in his three seasons with the Blues is putting his place in the squad at risk.
Fofana has managed just 34 Chelsea appearances since arriving from Leicester in 2022 as part of a €85m deal, and Fichajes is now reporting that the club are willing to let him leave in the summer after growing tired of his injury problems.
In FourFourTwo's view, it's not a surprise that Chelsea are willing to give up on Fofana considering his lack of availability, while Kounde is a top-tier player who will instantly upgrade the starting XI. Taking advantage of Barcelona's financial issues is certainly something they should consider this summer.
