Chelsea have been handed a major transfer boost in their pursuit to sign Sevilla defender Jules Kounde despite interest from Barcelona.
The Blues have already signed Kalidou Koulibaly this summer to strengthen their defensive options ahead of next season. The Senegal international became the club's second summer signing as Todd Boehly's era as owner begins.
Chelsea have spent around £80million on Raheem Sterling and Koulibaly and are now looking to prioritise two more defensive signings before the Blues' season opener against Everton. football.london understands Chelsea are in talks to sign Presnel Kimpembe from Paris Saint-Germain and have reignited their interest in signing Kounde after missing out on Nathan Ake this summer.
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Reports from the Spain, as cited by The Mirror, suggest the Blues remain ahead of Barcelona to sign Kounde, despite Barca boss Xavi’s attempts to persuade the France international to have a change in heart and join him at the Camp Nou.
The Catalan club has completed deals to sign Franck Kessie, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski so far, with Kounde their next big target of their high-spending summer. Yet that is at odds with their interest in Alonso and Azpilicueta, who will demand first-team football if they are to leave the Blues.
Andreas Christensen joined Barcelona on a free transfer following the expiry of his contract at Stamford Bridge, with Antonio Rudiger making the move to rivals Real Madrid. The Spanish giants are also confident of securing deals for Chelsea duo Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta this summer, with Thomas Tuchel keen to add depth to his defence with a back-up for Reece James and quality options alongside Thiago Silva.
football.london understands the Blues' priority target was Matthijs de Ligt, but the Dutch defender's preference was to secure a move to Bayern Munich which looks set to be confirmed in the coming days. Chelsea reacted by accelerating a move for Koulibaly and are now looking to strike deals for Kimpembe and Kounde.
Sevilla want to move Kounde on despite already losing Brazilian centre-back Diego Carlos to Aston Villa, with the La Liga outfit in need of funds to reinvest in the squad. Chelsea wanted to sign Kounde last summer but the 23-year-old was denied a move to Stamford Bridge.
football.london understands the west Londoners have made contact with Sevilla in the past week to reignite their interest in Kounde. The Mirror's report suggests the France international has verbally agreed to join the Blues ahead of next season.
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