Chelsea have been handed a major blow in the race to sign Jules Kounde this summer, with the Sevilla defender reportedly subject to growing interest from Barcelona and Newcastle United. The 23-year-old has been heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge lately, but the Blues now look set to lose sight of the centre-half.
He featured 32 times for the Spanish giants in La Liga this season, playing a significant role in the Julen Lopetegui's side, retaining the best defensive record in the league. Kounde's impressive displays have made him one of Europe's most coveted defenders this summer.
According to Goal, the groundwork at Chelsea has been put in place to sign the France international now that the sanctions have been lifted and that the takeover is completed. The west Londoners were linked with the defender ahead of the season and were understood to have agreed a deal worth around £43million, according to The Athletic.
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However, the subsequent sale of Kurt Zouma to West Ham reportedly saw Sevilla's sporting director, Monchi, increase the asking price to £69million to which Chelsea then halted their pursuit. football.london understand that Kounde is the west London club's priority.
The Sevilla defender is said to be keen on moving to the Blues, almost 12 months after his proposed switch to Stamford Bridge collapsed at the final hurdle. But now, Thomas Tuchel faces greater competition for his target's signature.
According to Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo, the Magpies are willing to trigger Kounde's £78.4million release clause. The report adds that west Londoners are also ready to do so - although the aforementioned fee is £9.4million more than the original asking price Sevilla outlined last summer.
Despite their reported financial restrictions, Barcelona are also said to be in the queue. Though, the Spanish side are reportedly confident in signing Kounde for as little as £56.6million.
But, regardless of whether Chelsea sign the Sevilla stalwart, Tuchel is said to be in the market for new defenders this summer following the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen. And, the club's new ownership group, who agreed to a £4.25billion deal to buy the Blues, is expected to 'push for A-list signings' to mark a new era at Stamford Bridge, according to the MailOnline.
As a result, Tuchel is plotting a rebuild of his backline this summer. Speaking to football.london, the Blues boss said: "We are rebuilding, not improving the squad. We are rebuilding. This is always challenging, but we are up for the challenge.
"I don't know where we are from day one. What I can promise is that I will be here – if I can promise that – I will be here with full energy and positive energy no matter what. We will still work for Chelsea, and I refuse to think of negative scenarios. We will be competitive, on which level we will see."
