Boehly can ‘quickly’ sign £55.8m ‘warrior’ at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea can wrap up a deal for Sevilla defender Jules Kounde ‘nice and quickly’ in the upcoming transfer window, according to Daily Star journalist Paul Brown.

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

What is the latest news involving Kounde?

According to Spanish outlet AS, it is ‘just a matter of time’ before Kounde makes the switch from the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium to Stamford Bridge following a lengthy pursuit.

The Blues came close to signing the France international last summer before Sevilla refused to accept anything below his £68 million release clause.

However, AS claim that the Rojiblancos are set to demand between €60m (£51.5m) and €65m (£55.8m) for Kounde this time around despite his centre-back partner Diego Carlos already departing for Aston Villa.

Transfer guru Andreas Korssund has previously stated that the highly-rated ace has agreed personal terms with the Blues, and he could become the first signing of new owner Todd Boehly’s reign.

What has Brown said about Kounde?

Boehly’s consortium have finally had their offer approved by the UK government to take control of Chelsea, allowing them to sign players once again after being placed under restrictions.

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And with Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen set to depart, signing a centre-back will surely be a priority for Tuchel, and Brown believes tying up a deal for Kounde should be ‘an easy one’ for them to do. 

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.”

Would Kounde be a good signing?

Kounde swapped life at boyhood club Bordeaux for Sevilla in July 2019 and has gone from strength to strength ever since, and was lauded as a “warrior” by former Chelsea defender Frank Leboeuf before racking up 133 appearances across all competitions.

The 5 foot 10 ace has helped his side claim the Europa League title as well as back-to-back top-four finishes in La Liga during his time at the club, using his quality in possession to make up for his lack of physical presence.

In fact, Kounde has ranked 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 when compared to fellow centre-backs, as per FBref.

Replacing Rudiger and Christensen will be hard for Chelsea this summer, but the acquisition of Kounde could allow for a smooth transition to life after the departing duo.

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