Liverpool set to beat Chelsea in race to sign £68.5m-rated transfer target - Reports

According to a report from El Nacional, Liverpool are set to beat Chelsea to the signing of Sevilla defender Jules Kounde.

The French defender has been linked with the Blues for quite some time now. They even made a bid for him last summer. However, it was rejected by the Spanish club. Now it appears their Premier League rivals are looking to swoop in for the defender.

Kounde has a release clause of £68.5 million and according to the reports, the Merseysiders are willing to pay that amount. It is unknown for now whether the London side will match that amount.

The Frenchman joined Sevilla in 2019 from Bordeaux for reportedly €25 million. Since then, he has made 113 appearances for the Spanish club in all competitions. He also made his debut for France last year in a friendly against Wales.

Apart from the two Premier League clubs, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain were also reported to be interested in Kounde. If Liverpool do sign him, he could form a formidable partnership at the back with Virgil van Dijk.

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Liverpool and Chelsea looking to cement their place in EFL cup final

Chelsea face Tottenham Hotspur in the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final on Wednesday at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. They won the first leg 2-0 and are now the favorites to qualify for the final.

Liverpool, however, had their first leg against Arsenal postponed due to injuries and a covid outbreak in their camp. Hence, their match on Thursday will be their first leg and will take place at Anfield.

The final is set to take place on 27th February at the Wembley Stadium in London.

Both Liverpool and Chelsea have some key absentees due to AFCON. This includes Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Naby Keita for the Reds and Edouard Mendy for the Blues.

The Reds, however, face the Gunners, who also have major absentees like Thomas Partey, Mohamed Elneny and Nicolas Pepe due to AFCON. Spurs are unaffected by the African tournament but have Heung-Min Son out due to an injury.

Meanwhile, in the Premier League, the Blues face a big challenge from Manchester City on Saturday at the Etihad Stadium. Liverpool take on Brentford on Sunday.