Chelsea have been dealt a major transfer blow in their pursuit of Sevilla defender Jules Kounde, with Barcelona now agreeing a deal in principle for the 23-year-old.
It was previously reported that the Blues had beaten Barcelona to the signing of the defender, closing in on a £55 million signing this summer.
Thomas Tuchel’s side were said to be long-term admirers of Kounde, having come close to signing him last summer but for Sevilla to ‘move the goalposts’ on transfer deadline day.
Friday’s reports stated that Barcelona were beaten to the signing after refusing to match Chelsea’s bid for Kounde.
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Barcelona president Joan Laporta revealed that ‘he will sign for Chelsea’ when asked about Kounde.
However, in an astonishing turn of events, reports in Spain now believe that Barcelona will sign the 23-year-old.
As reported by Gerard Romero, Barcelona and Sevilla have now reached an agreement in principle for Kounde.
The report continues to state that the operation is ‘99 percent closed’ and barring a surprise in the coming hours, the French international will become a Barcelona player.
This news is a massive blow to the Blues, who were ready to block Cesar Azpilicueta’s move to Barcelona.
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“It's a tough question because I am not sure if I want to give Azpi what he wants,” said Chelsea boss Tuchel on the defender’s future. "At some point it is about what we want. I just made the comparison about how much we fought for (Kalidou) Koulibaly, who is a national team player and roughly the same age.
“He is a hugely important player for Napoli but we have a Spanish international who is the captain at Chelsea.
"I see him maybe at the same level but Barcelona don’t see him on that level. So I am not sure if I want to give him what he wants as he is a huge player.”
It was previously believed that Chelsea would be open to selling their captain if they could secure a replacement, with Kounde looking the most likely incoming.
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With Kounde now set for Barcelona, it appears that Azpilicueta could remain at Stamford Bridge this summer.
The blow will be a familiar one for Chelsea, who previously lost out on former Leeds United winger Raphinha during this transfer window.
The Blues had agreed a fee for the Brazilian before Barcelona stepped in to hijack the deal, similar to the way the Kounde saga has panned out.
It remains to be seen as to who Chelsea will go for next, with Tuchel previously reported to be looking for at least three new defenders in the transfer window.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Chelsea, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours, Jules Kounde, Barcelona, Sevilla, Transfers, Football