There has finally been a real breakthrough between Chelsea and Sevilla over Jules Kounde.
I try not to lure myself into the transfer trap when it comes to players that Chelsea has failed to sign, but this time it feels different. Kounde is one step closer to becoming a Chelsea player, and Sevilla seems to be on board with it.
Despite their breakdown in negotiations last summer, the Blues had not given up on their interest in the Frenchman. Chelsea is so desperate to sign a new centre-back that Sevilla wasn't so eager to sell for less than a £60m asking price.
In fear of history repeating itself, Chelsea has made early advances ahead of the summer transfer window to secure at least one signing. Kounde is the priority as the Blues will potentially lose at least two out of three defenders this summer - Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger or Andreas Christensen.
Unsure of the negotiation price, Sevilla could be haggling for a better fee than before, or Marina Granovskaia could be using her superpowers to bring down the asking price. It is unknown where the clubs stand right now, but interestingly, the Spaniards have been looking into securing a new centre-back option.
Sevilla reportedly wants to sign Lazio's 24-year-old centre-back Luiz Felipe according to Mundo Deportivo. With that being said, a new partnership may be formed for the Sevillistas. With Kounde's defensive partner Diego Carlos piquing the interest of Newcastle, Chelsea needs to quicken their pace.
In January, Newcastle made a £30m bid for the Brazilian defender, which was rejected. Sevilla has asked for at least £38m if Newcastle are to make another attempt this summer.
It's a case now of who will get there first. Will Sevilla allow both of their star centre-backs to leave, or is it a first-come, first-served basis?
I knew that the day would come when Chelsea would battle Newcastle in the transfer window. However, I didn't expect that they would be battling for two different players.
We will find out who will get there first, but reports from Fabrizio Romano are in Chelsea's favour.
On his 'Here We Go' podcast, Romano said, "In the last few days, contacts are ongoing for Jules Kounde with his agents. It's a priority for Chelsea. Sevilla are already looking around for potential replacements. They know that Chelsea will try again for Kounde."
It's good news for the Blues fans, but it's not over until the Magpies sing.
Make sure you have subscribed to CareFree Chelsea on YouTube! The Fan Brands team along with plenty of your football.london favourites will be producing daily Chelsea content for you to enjoy including match reactions, podcasts, football fun and interviews. You can follow Anita Abayomi from the CareFreeChelsea team to keep up to date with her work. If you enjoyed reading this then give her other articles a read below.
