Chelsea remain interested in Sevilla’s Jules Kounde and could make a January bid for the defender, but the Blues will reportedly need the Spanish side to lower their demands.
The France international was a summer target for the Stamford Bridge club, but they couldn’t find an agreement over a transfer fee.
ESPN reports that the clubs’ inability to strike a deal this summer might not be the end of the saga though, as Chelsea are willing to re-open negotiations during the winter window.
Sevilla’s original stance was that any suitor would have to fork out Kounde’s €80m buyout clause, but the two clubs later came close to agreeing a €50m deal.
However, the Spaniards then raised the price again after Blues defender Kurt Zouma was sold to West Ham, as they believed Chelsea would meet their demands having brought in a £25m fee and lost a centre-back.
Sources have told the outlet that Kounde wants to join Chelsea and has already agreed a four or five-year contract, but the Londoners need Sevilla to lower their demands back to €50m if they are to strike a January deal.
The European champions splashed out a club record £97.5m fee on Romelu Lukaku earlier this summer, and later added Saul Niguez on loan from Atletico Madrid on deadline day.
Thomas Tuchel’s centre-back options for the 2021/22 season include Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, Thiago Silva, Trevoh Chalabah and Malang Sarr.
The addition of Kounde would certainly add extra quality and youth to the selection, as the 22-year-old has impressed over two seasons in Seville.
He has scored six goals in 91 appearances in all competitions for the La Liga side, winning the Europa League in the process, and earned a place in France’s Euro 2020 squad, where he played once.
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