It looks as though Chelsea have reignited their interest in Jules Kounde as negotiations with Manchester City for Nathan Ake fall apart. The Blues had turned to Ake as a choice for Thomas Tuchel as he makes up for the loss in centre-backs this summer. Kounde was the initial target, but negotiations fell through somewhere along the line, and Todd Boehly's team turned their focus elsewhere.
With Chelsea close to signing Kalidou Koulibaly, the void left by Antonio Rudiger will be filled. It is now left for Tuchel to figure out who Andreas Christensen's replacement will be, as negotiations with Matthijs de Ligt have also fallen through. Unsurprisingly, the Blues picked things up where they left off with Sevilla. Via Sky Sports, the Chelsea boss has mentioned that the priority is the defence right now, but in order to complete their quest for Kounde, they; 'll have to go through a familiar transfer rival.
Rumours have been around for a while that Barcelona also eyes the 24-year-old Frenchman. With their financial struggles, they are yet to make the first monetary move, and the Blues must capitalise on this.
