Chelsea are in danger of missing out on Jules Kounde as the transfer deadline approaches, according to reports.
Having spent £97.5m to bring Romelu Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge, the Blues are now trying to agree a deal to sign the Sevilla centre-back.
Thomas Tuchel is keen to add another defender to his squad before the window closes at 11pm BST on Tuesday.
Kurt Zouma has joined West Ham for around £30m and Chelsea want to reinvest those funds in a deal for Kounde.
But they are running out of time to agree terms with Sevilla, who continue to drive a hard bargain.
According to the Sunday Telegraph, the Spanish side have raised their asking price for the 22-year-old.
Chelsea had hoped to sign Kounde for less than his buy-out clause, which is worth around £68.5m.
But Sevilla are now insisting that they will not accept any offer lower than that figure.
Selling Kounde now would give the club very little time to find a replacement, with just over 48 hours of the transfer window remaining.
The Frenchman is keen to move to Stamford Bridge and was not involved as Sevilla drew 1-1 with Elche on Saturday.
But it looks as though the La Liga outfit are willing to dig in their heels in a bid to keep hold of one of their prized assets.
With Barcelona still adapting to life after Lionel Messi and Real Madrid under new management, Sevilla have been tipped to challenge for the title this term.
Julen Lopetegui considers Kounde to be integral to his plans and Chelsea could now be frustrated in their attempts to sign him.
Sevilla would be powerless to resist an offer that meets the player's release clause, but it is unclear if the European champions have the budget for that.
At £68.5m Kounde would become Chelsea's fourth-most expensive transfer of all time, behind Lukaku, Kai Havertz and Kepa Arrizabalaga.
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