This summer promises to be an important and eventful one for Chelsea for two major reasons. It'll be the American's first transfer window; and an opportunity to set the tone for the post-Roman Abramovich era.
Secondly, they will require a major defensive rebuild with Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen both out of contract at the end of the month. Blues boss Thomas Tuchel will be keen to bolster his backline ahead of the new season with the club keen to close the gap on Manchester City and Liverpool, as well as challenge for silverware in cup competitions.
Rudiger's deal to Real Madrid has already been confirmed when his deal expires, and Christensen is expected to join Barcelona. As a result of their impending departures, Chelsea have been linked with several centre-backs, and one player in particular believed to be of interest to the club is Sevilla's Jules Kounde.
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The 23-year-old has established as one of the best young defenders in Europe over the last few seasons and has been on the Blues’ radar for some time. Kounde is equally adept at playing as a right-sided centre-back and right-back, making him a good fit for Tuchel’s tried and tested three-man defence.
The Frenchman is comfortable playing the ball out from the back, has a great turn of pace, and despite only being 5ft 11, he possesses a powerful leap making him effective in both penalty boxes. In many ways, Kounde is the ideal replacement for Rudiger, and with his contract expiring in the summer of 2024, Sevilla may be tempted to cash in this summer to stop him from entering the final year of his deal.
With that said, is there a place for Kounde in Tuchel’s starting XI? Here, we take a look at how Chelsea could line up next season with the Sevilla defender in the side:
GK: Edouard Mendy
RCB: Jules Kounde
CB: Thiago Silva
LCB: Trevor Chalobah
RWB: Reece James
CM: N’Golo Kante
CM: Jorginho
LWB: Ben Chilwell
RW: Mason Mount
LW: Christian Pulisic
ST: Kai Havertz
