It's been a long time coming, but Chelsea finally seem ready to show some productivity in the transfer market. The Blues have announced the signing of Raheem Sterling, while progress has been made towards signing a defender in Kalidou Koulibaly, with the Napoli star set for a medical tomorrow.
Thomas Tuchel has been awaiting the signings to begin his rebuild following Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen's departures, with the team continuing their pre-season preparations in Los Angeles. The Blues have seen a series of names on their shortlist to reinvigorate the backline, including Koulibaly, Jules Kounde, Nathan Ake and Matthijs de Ligt.
Todd Boehly's summer as interim sporting director is kicking into action with Chelsea confident of landing Koulibaly in a £34 million deal, while talks have been advanced for Ake, despite the discrepancies over a fee between Man City and the Blues. It appears that de Ligt is now more likely to now head to Baryen Munich following talks in Turin.
READ MORE: What Kalidou Koulibaly to Chelsea transfer means for N'Golo Kante, Jorginho and Edouard Mendy
Koulibaly and Ake appear to be the most likely additions to the Chelsea squad this summer, but their long-term target has been Kounde. The French defender came close to joining the Blues in the summer of 2021, and the club have long since had a verbal agreement over personal terms, but since Marina Granovskaia's departure, interest appears to have cooled.
Nevertheless, some still view him as the ideal signing. Former Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna believes his countryman brings many of the same qualities that Tuchel has lost through Rudiger's departure and indicated that he might be an improvement upon the German star in terms of technical ability. Sagna could see Kounde as a transfer that only improves in the years to come if Chelsea return for the Sevilla star.
He told Lord Ping: "I am really proud of him, and I'm not surprised to see him linked with a club like Chelsea because he is a massive prospect. I think he would be a good replacement for Rudiger because he has the same type of style and desire. He is strong. Technically, I think he may be a bit better than Rudiger. Rudiger was a special player at Chelsea, and it will be difficult to replace him, but I think that Kounde could be a great addition for the next four to five years, and he will get even better.
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