Journalist issues big Chelsea transfer claim on £55.8m “warrior” who’s “agreed terms already” 

Journalist issues big Chelsea transfer claim on £55.8m “warrior” who’s “agreed terms already” 

According to Daily Star columnist Paul Brown, Chelsea may sign Sevilla defender Jules Kounde ‘nice and quickly’ in the forthcoming transfer window.

The west London club are expected to bolster their defence ahead of next season, and the 23-year-old appears to be at the top of Thomas Tuchel’s wish list.

Following a lengthy pursuit, it is ‘only a matter of time’ until Kounde moves from the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium to Stamford Bridge, according to Spanish publication AS.

Last summer, the Blues came close to acquiring the France international when Sevilla refused to accept anything less than his £68 million release clause.

According to  AS, the Rojiblancos will seek between €60m (£51.5m) and €65m (£55.8m) for Kounde this time around, despite the fact that his centre-back partner Diego Carlos has already left for Aston Villa.

Andreas Korssund, the Blues’ transfer expert, has already indicated that the highly-rated ace has signed personal terms, and he might be the club’s first acquisition under new owner Todd Boehly.

The UK government has now authorised Boehly’s consortium’s offer to take control of Chelsea, allowing them to recruit players again after being restricted.

With Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen likely to go, adding a centre-back would undoubtedly be a priority for Tuchel, and Brown believes a deal for Kounde should be “an easy one.”

He told GiveMeSport: “A deal was basically done for Kounde, and I think he’s still the first-choice defender they want. He basically agreed terms already to join Chelsea. It seems as if his club are willing to sell now, and that’s an easy one for them to do nice and quickly.”

Kounde left his boyhood club Bordeaux for Sevilla in July 2019 and has gone from strength to strength since. 

Kounde left his boyhood club Bordeaux for Sevilla in July 2019 and has gone from strength to strength since. 

During his time at the club, the 5 foot 10 ace has helped his side win the Europa League as well as back-to-back top-four finishes in La Liga, relying on his quality in possession to compensate for his lack of physical presence.

When compared to other center-backs, Kounde is in the 98th percentile for dribbles completed, 97th for shot-creating actions, 97th for progressive passes received, and 96th for touches in the attacking penalty area, according to FBref.

Replacing Rudiger and Christensen will be difficult for Chelsea this summer, but the signing of Kounde may allow for a smooth transition.

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Journalist issues big Chelsea transfer claim on £55.8m “warrior” who’s “agreed terms already”