Chelsea keen to renew interest in La Liga star - Reports

Chelsea failed to sign Sevilla defender Jules Kounde this summer. The Blues were in talks with the Spanish club all summer but failed to reach a final agreement over the sale of the player. However, the English giants are likely to try and rope in Kounde in the January window or next summer.

Kounde joined Sevilla from Ligue 1 club Bordeaux in the summer of 2019. Over the next two seasons, he developed himself into one of the most prominent young centre-backs in European football. The Frenchman made 49 appearances in all competitions for Sevilla last season. In addition to providing stability to the defense, he scored four times and provided an assist.

Kounde attracted interest from Manchester City last summer. However, Sevilla slapped a £68.5 million release clause on their French defender. The lofty price tag saw City walk away from negotiations.

Chelsea tried to sign Kounde this summer. The two clubs were engaged in talks and while Chelsea were hovering around the £42m-mark, Sevilla were reluctant to go down on their release clause.

For a while in the middle it seemed that the Blues had got their way. Reports had claimed that Chelsea had verbally agreed a deal with Sevilla for a fee in the region of £42m.

After seven-and-a-half years with the club, Kurt Zouma leaves Chelsea for West Ham.Wishing you all the best for the future, @KurtZouma. 🤝

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 28, 2021

Chelsea kept the deal on the backburner to prioritize the signing of Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan and the sale of Kurt Zouma to West Ham United. When the Blues did return to finalize the deal, Sevilla reportedly sought more money to sell Kounde.

Their reason behind the demand was that Chelsea had left it too late to complete the deal and it would be tough for Sevilla to find a replacement. Chelsea did try and negotiate a new deal on deadline day but failed to land Kounde.

Jules Koundé and Chelsea deal is considered “more than complicated” by all parties involved. Sevilla have absolutely NO intention to negotiate. It’s release clause or nothing - and Chelsea have not communicated any intention to pay the clause yet. 🔵🚫 #CFC #Sevilla

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 31, 2021

Why are Chelsea so interested in Kounde?

Chelsea currently have Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger, Cesar Azpilicueta, Trevoh Chalobah, Reece James and Thiago Silva as the recognized centre-backs in the team.

However, Chalobah is new to this level of football and cannot be used too often. Thiago Silva is a veteran of the game and is unlikely to start every single match. Reece James is far better suited to playing as a right-wing back instead.

This means Chelsea might find it difficult to cover up their numbers in defense, due to their five-man back system. So it can be expected that the Blues are likely to return for Kounde either in January or next summer.

Kounde can play as a right centre-back or right-wing back depending on the demands of the team.