Chelsea supporters have developed somewhat of a rivalry with Barcelona fans in recent weeks. The two sets of fans have been feuding on social media as the clubs keep going head-to-head with each other for transfer targets.
First it was Raphinha. Chelsea agreed a deal with Leeds United for the Brazil international, but Barca hijacked the move and ended up signing the tricky winger. 1-0 Barcelona.
Chelsea, though, will be looking for a proverbial equaliser by signing Jules Kounde. The transfer saga, that can be dated back to last summer when Chelsea came close to signing the 23-year-old defender, seems to take about five twists per day at the moment.
READ MORE: Jules Kounde drops curious Chelsea Instagram transfer hint amid Barcelona 'hijack' talks
It can be difficult to follow what's going on. There's plenty of confusion regarding what's actually happening right now. So, with that being said, football.london will try and make it seem a bit simpler for you all. We will try.
Jules Kounde to Chelsea or Barcelona?
Chelsea agreed personal terms, verbally, with Kounde a few months ago. However, personal terms, even when signed, can be agreed on with multiple clubs. A player can explore his options. Kounde is open to moving to Chelsea or Barcelona.
The Blues recently – again, verbally – agreed a fee, believed to be around £55million, with Sevilla for the France international. No documents have been signed, however, meaning nothing is legally binding.
Barca's well-documented financial issues mean they are unable to match Chelsea's £55million bid in a straight-up fee. The Catalan club, though, will be trying to match it by a different payment structure, such as instalments, add-ons and bonuses.
Some reports in Spain have suggested Barcelona have agreed on a deal with Sevilla to sign Kounde. football.london understands Sevilla have denied this speculation.
Realistically, though, Sevilla were always going to deny this. It doesn't mean that it has been agreed, but clubs tend to deny transfer speculation before a move is official.
There's absolutely nothing more Chelsea can do – bar send over the official documentation for the appropriate parties to sign. Thomas Tuchel is desperate to bring in at least one more defender following the arrival of Kalidou Koulibaly and Kounde has now been identified as that man.
The Chelsea head coach will be anxiously waiting as the club look to wrap up a deal for Kounde. Barcelona are threatening and right now, it's frankly anyone's guess where Kounde ends up.
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