Chelsea transfer target Jules Kounde is set to undergo surgery today, throwing a potential summer switch to Stamford Bridge into question.
The Sevilla centre-back is Thomas Tuchel’s long-term No1 defensive target, having missed out on a move to the Premier League on deadline day last year.
However, Chelsea’s interest in his signature has endured, with Kounde widely expected to complete the transfer in the coming months.
Tuchel is eager to prioritise new defensive recruits as part of a busy summer spending spree under new owner Todd Boehly that could be worth as much as £200million, with Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen departing on free transfers and doubts also surrounding the futures of the likes of long-serving captain Cesar Azpilicueta and fellow Spaniard Marcos Alonso.
However, a pursuit of Kounde, who has reiterated his desire to leave Sevilla in this transfer window, now appears to have become more difficult.
The 23-year-old has been on duty with out-of-form France during the start of the latest Nations League, where he started the shock defeat by Denmark earlier this month before being substituted at half-time of the 1-0 loss against Croatia on Monday night.
Asked to explain that change after his side’s latest uncharacteristic slip-up in Paris, Les Bleues boss Didier Deschamps explained that Kounde would undergo surgery on Tuesday to correct what is believed to be a long-term pelvic issue.
“I knew very well his physical condition today,” Deschamps said. “Tomorrow [Tuesday] he will have a [surgical] intervention because he has a problem that has been going on for several months.”
Reports suggest that the operation is understood to be minor and that Kounde, believed to be rated at around the £65m mark, should be back training within weeks, meaning he is not at risk of missing a large chunk of the 2022/23 season.
