Chelsea have reportedly identified Sevilla defender Jules Kounde and Paris Saint-Germain 's Presnel Kimpembe as backup options if they fail to land Kalidou Koulibaly and Nathan Ake.
With new owner Todd Boehly leading the club's assault on the transfer market and £45million Raheem Sterling already in the bag, the focus in west London has shifted to shoring up manager Thomas Tuchel 's defensive unit. The Blues are bidding to rebuild their defence following the departures of trusted centre-backs Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen after their contacts expired in June, joining Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively on free transfers.
Talks are advancing in both Koulibaly and Ake's cases, but Stamford Bridge chiefs are also keeping tabs on Kounde and Kimpembe as contingency plans this summer, according to the Telegraph. Kounde, 23, will be a familiar face to supporters, having been on Chelsea's radar for multiple transfer windows. Meanwhile, France teammate Kimpembe is a new name, having worked under Tuchel during the German's two-and-a-half years in charge of PSG which came to an end in December 2020.
The duo would be valuable assets for Tuchel in his preferred three-man back line, as each are adept at defending in wide areas. Kounde has even been employed at right-back for the French national team, while Kimpembe's preferred left-foot would be greatly beneficial in build-up. However, the Blues' first priorities are sealing deals for Napoli captain Koulibaly and Manchester City 's Ake, set to cost them a combined £79m.
Now 31, Koulibaly looks set to end his eight-year spell in Italy, having become one of Serie A 's most dominant centre-backs thanks to his monstrous stature. His form consistently led to him being linked with a move away but the Senegalese stalwart showed loyalty and never jumped ship - until now. PSG and Barcelona were both tagged as interested earlier in the window, but Chelsea's bid worth around £34m appears to have won the race. Boehly, who bought the club as part of a consortium in May, is expected to hand him a five-year contract worth around £160,000 per week.
Ake, on the other hand, started his senior career at Stamford Bridge, but only made 17 appearances for the Blues' first team over five years as their player. A loan switch to Bournemouth in 2016 allowed him to demonstrate his qualities before making the move permanent the following summer. Three years later, City shelled out £40m for his signature and the Netherlands international has won two Premier League titles in as many campaigns.
Usually a substitute under Pep Guardiola, he often played second fiddle to the likes of Ruben Dias, Aymeric Laporte and John Stones. Coincidentally, it has been reported that the English champions are targeting Kounde if Ake departs in a £45m deal, having been lauded by Guardiola towards the end of last season, when the Dutchman enjoyed a brief spell as a regular starter and featured in the latter stages of the Champions League.
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"He is so reliable," the Citizens manager said in April. "Especially when you behave in your life like he does, always you will play good. In the bad phases he is always helping. When he doesn’t get the minutes he deserves and then gets the minutes, he's thinking about the other ones and has done well.
"He is an exceptional person. His mother and father who passed away should be so proud. The older I get, the more aware of this kind of behaviour I am. Your life is better when you behave like this."
