It has come to light that Jules Kounde has been struggling with an injury issue for a number of months which now requires surgery. The Frenchman wanted to wait until after France's round of Nation League fixtures before undergoing surgery for his long-term injury. It is now revealed that the centre-back should be back for the beginning of the 2022/23 season and will undergo a minor pelvis surgery.
According to reports, Chelsea was already aware of the situation regarding Kounde's injury. The Blues have remained interested in the 23-year-old since last August and continued pursuing him into the current transfer window. Despite Thomas Tuchel's clear interest in the young France international, you have to question whether or not this is the right move.
Other options are on the table that could shake up the search for Andreas Christensen's replacement.
READ MORE: Jules Kounde Chelsea injury scare eased by Diego Costa transfer statement for Thomas Tuchel
Signing a player with a pre-existing injury is not an ideal scenario. Chelsea are already entering a period of the unknown with the Boehly/Clearlake Capital takeover, and now they could be signing a player that may or may not be an injury risk. Every signing comes with its doubts but needing surgery for an injury calls for alarm bells.
For example, Jules Kounde's injury is not as deep as Fernando Torres'. Torres is a stand-out player who had signed for Chelsea with an injury but did not live up to the expectations set. Nonetheless, there is still a cause for concern, especially considering Chelsea could simply take a different direction.
With Romelu Lukaku pushing to make a return to Inter Milan, the Blues could play their hand here and benefit from a deal including Milan Skriniar moving to West London. The right-footed centre-back has a perfect blend of experience and technique that the squad could benefit from. He currently has one year left on his contract with Inter Milan, and now would be the best time to move in for the Slovakian.
According to Ben Jacobs, Inter Milan want £69m for Skriniar, and PSG have offered £42m. The Parisians are only prepared to pay around £55m for the 27-year-old and see Milan's valuation as too high. If Chelsea as to enter the race using Lukaku as a compelling factor, the I Nerazzurri could be far more generous with their asking price.
If you are a serial worrier like me, you'd be wondering if Jules Kounde is worth the risk or if Chelsea should be looking elsewhere. There's also the question of should Chelsea bargain for a lower asking price from Sevilla just in case the injury is more damaging than expected.
