Jules Kounde to Chelsea was a transfer saga that dominated headlines for much of the 2021 summer window.
After plenty of twists and turns, it appeared as though Kounde wanted the move to Stamford Bridge but Sevilla were reluctant to sell the Frenchman for anything less than £68million.
The price tag eventually put Chelsea off and a transfer never materialised. In hindsight, that probably looks a bad decision as Chelsea have had a number of shortages in defence throughout the season - albeit mainly in the wing-back area as a result of Ben Chilwell and Reece James' respective long-term injuries.
In addition to that, continued uncertainty over the immediate futures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, as well as the long-term future of club captain Cesar Azpilicueta, has meant that a summer rebuild in the centre-back area is imperative to Thomas Tuchel's success moving forward.
With that in mind, it's being reported that Marina Granovskaia is finally close to negotiating an agreement for the summer transfer of Kounde - a deal that would put an end to a year-long mission to sign the defender.
According to Tutto Mercato Web, as cited by Sport Witness, the Blues are working hard to 'close the operation', with Granovskaia leading the bid to sign the 23-year-old.
An initial payment of €55million (£46.1million) plus a further €5million (£4.1millon) is believed to be Chelsea's opening offer, and the two clubs are edging closer to a deal.
Signing Kounde would certainly improve Tuchel's defensive options as he expects to launch a title charge for the Blues next season.
Whether Kounde is part of Tuchel's plans will depend on Granovskaia finally completing the long anticipated deal.
