Chelsea are hoping to find an agreement with Sevilla for the transfer of Jules Kounde and save up to £17 million on their valuation, according to reports.
The Sevilla defender has been heavily linked with a move to Thomas Tuchel’s side for over a year, with a deal collapsing last summer.
"It was clear we tried for Kounde and Saul and it was very, very late but it was a very, very smooth transfer window because I had full concentration on training and on my team," Tuchel said previously.
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Chelsea have reportedly offered €50 million for the defender this summer but Sevilla would prefer his release clause to be met as negotiations continue.
Kounde suffered an injury against Croatia for France in the Nations League, which will require surgery before he can undergo a medical as he suffered with a groin issue for the majority of the season.
France manager Didier Deschamps revealed: “I know very well his athletic condition today. Tomorrow, he will have (surgical) intervention because he has a problem that dates from several months ago.”
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However, this is not expected to put an end to Chelsea’s interest, with Kounde to be sidelined for three to four weeks during the summer as recent reports have stated that talks are continuing between the two clubs.
90 min are now reporting that Chelsea hope to reach an agreement of €60 million, €10 million more than their opening bid
The Blues are hopeful that this will be accepted rather than having to pay Kounde’s €80 million release clause.
This would see Chelsea save up to £17 million on the deal to sign Kounde as they search for the perfect replacements for Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.
Tuchel’s men are said to be ‘serious’ in their pursuit to bring Matthijs de Ligt to Stamford Bridge alongside Kounde this summer.
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The former Ajax defender has handed a boost Chelsea when he criticised the sporting project at Juventus, during international duty with Netherlands.
The 23-year-old central defender has a €120 million release clause in his current deal with Juventus, one which he is keen to lower if he is to sign a new contract in Turin.
It remains to be seen as to whether Chelsea are willing to pay two large transfer fees for defenders as Tuchel looks to rebuild his squad this summer, also looking to sign forward thinking players in the transfer window.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Chelsea, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours, Jules Kounde, Sevilla, Football, Premier League