While Jules Kounde chills out in Portugal as seen with his most recent Instagram story post, both Chelsea and Barcelona are working tirelessly on the transfer front to satisfy both Thomas Tuchel and Xavi respectively.
Kounde's decision to join up with Sevilla in Lagos had signalled a shift in power from Chelsea to Barcelona and despite no deal being imminent currently as referenced by the 23-year-old being in training on Monday after the Sporting Lisbon pre-season game miss, things are happening behind the scene as operation Raphinha 2.0 closes to completion.
football.london understands that Chelsea have done everything in their powers to try and seal a deal for Sevilla's number 23 including reaching a £55million verbal agreement plus personal terms, which were done a while ago. However, as Fabrizio Romano confirmed in a recent Que Golazo podcast recording, Barcelona have taken significant steps, as confirmed by multiple Spanish outlets like El Desmarque and Relevo, with Chelsea fuming at how the whole affair has unfolded and consequently, pulling out of the deal in its entirety if the latest rumours are to be believed.
