Chelsea are offering Sevilla’s Jules Kounde a four-year deal to join them and hope to wrap up their move for the player this week in a London meeting between the two clubs and his representatives.
The Blues tried to sign defender Kounde last summer but had an offer of £42.5million knocked back by the Spaniards, who want closer to £70m. However, it is hoped a compromise figure of around £50m plus add-ons can be thrashed out at the get-together in the coming days as Chelsea get to work on a major overhaul of their squad.
Talks are already at an advanced stage after last year’s contacts, with Kounde keen on a move to south-west London. Boss Thomas Tuchel has given the move for the 23-year-old Frenchman his blessing and it is hoped that the finer details of the transfer can be dealt with relatively quickly.
Tuchel is understood to have spoken with Kounde’s agents and told them their man will be a key figure in the Blues’ back line next season. That has prompted the player to reject an offer from a club in Germany and another in the Premier League.
Sevilla want assurances that funds will be received before the end of June to give them time to work the market and strengthen their squad. If Chelsea’s new owners can provide them then the deal will be announced soon.
Chelsea have lost Antonio Rudiger to Real Madrid and Andreas Christensen is set to follow the German out of Stamford Bridge by completing a move to Barcelona. The futures of fellow defenders Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso remain in doubt, with Barcelona keen to take the pair as well as Christensen.
