Whether or not Jules Kounde eventually signs for Chelsea, the club may need to continue scouring the market for new centre-back options. With Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen both leaving the Blues recently, the centre of defence is a big priority for Thomas Tuchel.
Rudiger recently signed a four-year contract with Real Madrid after leaving Chelsea on a free transfer. Meanwhile, Christensen looks set to complete a move to Barcelona, with his contract at Stamford Bridge due to reach its expiration date at the end of the month.
So, Chelsea, from that point of view, have been forced into the transfer market this summer. If either of them have stayed, though, the general consensus was that Tuchel would have liked to add to his defensive options anyway.
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Chelsea's main target is Kounde. The France international has already agreed personal terms with the west London club, but as of the time of writing, the Blues are yet to submit an official offer to Sevilla for their talented defender. Sources close to Kounde have told football.london that Kounde relishes the challenge of the Premier League. The Frenchman has his heart set on a move to Stamford Bridge.
The right-footed defender would most likely take Christensen's place in the back three on the right-hand side. With rumours over Cesar Azpilicueta's future refusing to go away, it would be a shock if Kounde did not end up on that side of the back-line.
That still leaves Rudiger's place in the back three, with the German making the left-hand spot his own under Tuchel ever since the manager arrived in January 2021. Tuchel will be looking for someone who has played on the left-hand side of a back-line in the past so they can slot into Rudiger's place.
That man could be Matthijs de Ligt. The 22-year-old has played on the left of a Netherlands back three on several occasions and he is someone who very much interests Chelsea.
football.london understands the Blues have held talks with Juventus over a fee for the Netherlands international, who is open to leaving the Italian club. De Ligt has a contract with Juve until the summer of 2024, so there is no immediate pressure for the Italians to sell.
That said, though, if he allows his deal to run down a further 12 months and remains open to leaving next summer, then the Turin side would be in a somewhat weaker position. For Chelsea, it's about finding the middle ground with Juventus over a fee for the Dutchman.
There are plenty of cheaper options out there for the Blues than De Ligt, but maybe not too many with the ability, or potential, that the Dutch defender possesses. Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk, who often plays alongside De Ligt at international level for Netherlands, is a huge fan of the former Ajax man, who he believes can go even further in the game.
Speaking three years ago, Van Dijk said: "[What can De Ligt improve?] In everything. He is an excellent defender, but he also knows he can improve. If you play like that at that age, then that is fantastic. I am very happy that he is standing next to me."
Why De Ligt?
De Ligt grabbed the attention of the footballing world at such a young age as he shone for Ajax to in the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League campaign. The Dutchman helped the club, where he came through their famous academy, reach the semi-finals of the European competition before they were knocked out in dramatic fashion by Tottenham.
His performances for the Amsterdam-based club earned him a big-money move to Juventus. It took a while for De Ligt to settle into life in Italy and learn the more tactical-based culture of the Serie A, but he has gradually improved, working under three managers during his time in Turin.
Despite being around for what seems an age, De Ligt is still 22, so improvement is undoubtedly needed. He's still maturing, but that's something that might attract Chelsea to his services. If he's this good now, think how good he can be when he reaches his peak years. Chelsea will hope that is with them, but they need to overcome the price hurdle first.
Tuchel is clearly a big fan of De Ligt and that will have plenty to do with the Dutchman's ability to play in the middle of a back three or on the left of the defensive line. Comfortable on the ball, as you have to be to graduate from the Ajax academy, he certainly ticks plenty of boxes for Chelsea.
