Chelsea’s transfer plans have taken another hit with reports suggesting Presnel Kimpembe is set to stay at Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
The PSG central defender has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge for much of this summer, with the Blues in desperate need for defensive reinforcements. Thomas Tuchel has already seen Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen leave the club, whilst the futures of Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta are uncertain.
The club’s new owner Todd Boehly has taken on the responsibility of sanctioning transfers after allowing Marina Granovskaia to leave following his consortium’s takeover. The American is desperate to make a big splash in the market and has even held meetings in regards to signing Cristiano Ronaldo.
Kalidou Koulibaly has arrived to plug the gap of one of the defensive departures, but there had been suggestions Tuchel wanted as many as three centre-backs before the season started. Kimpembe was on that list, along with Manchester City ’s Nathan Ake and Jules Kounde from Sevilla.
However, a move for Ake didn’t materialise after the Premier League champions demanded £50million, while Kounde looks primed to join Barcelona at the end of a long and frustrating saga.
And their pursuit of Kimpembe now looks set to end with the same frustrations, with Le10Sport claiming the Frenchman is set to stay in the French capital next season. This summer has been one of great upheaval at the Parc des Princes, with Mauricio Pochettino replaced as manager by Christophe Galtier and Luis Campos taking the place of Leonardo as sporting director.
That has opened the door for a massive overhaul of the playing squad as the Qatari backed French champions look to finally become European champions. The 26-year-old, who played under Tuchel during his time at PSG, had been touted as a player who could leave, with Chelsea the overwhelming favourite to sign him.
The French outlet goes as far to claim that Blues bosses made direct contact with Kimpembe and were the only major side in Europe to do so. However, with Galtier set to implement a back three in his first season in charge, the Chelsea target appears to be a clear starter and is happy to stay - particularly with a World Cup campaign right around the corner.
It’s another concerning development for Tuchel, just days after admitting that he doesn’t know whether his Chelsea side would be ready for the new season. The German was speaking after watching his team get thrashed 4-0 by Arsenal in the final game of their tour of the US.
Asked whether his team would be ready to go for their Premier League opener against Everton on August 6, Tuchel said: “I can not guarantee it. I saw today a team in Arsenal who are mentally committed to an idea of playing, a level of exhaustion, a level of physical commitment that we could not match.
"Also, a level of mental commitment that we lacked because we have a lot of players who are thinking about leaving and looking at their options. We have players that have left and I think at the moment that's obvious."
