The latest details of the breakdown in talks between Sevilla and Chelsea over Jules Kounde have been revealed.
The 23-year-old looked set for a move to Stamford Bridge this summer after months of transfer rumours.
However, it now appears that the French international will join FC Barcelona rather than Thomas Tuchel’s side.
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Reports in Spain have now revealed that Barcelona have agreed a £51 million deal for the defender.
Kounde remains with Sevilla for their pre-season tour in Portugal but it appears that he is edging closer to a move to Barcelona.
Chelsea boss Tuchel insisted there was no new update regarding their chase of Kounde.
"There is no update, no update," said the head coach regarding Kounde after their 4-0 defeat to Arsenal.
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Chelsea are now thought to be turning their attention to alternative targets with Josko Gvardiol, Presnel Kimpembe and Milan Skriniar the latest names to be linked.
Recent reports have now revealed why a deal with Chelsea was not reached in regards to the Kounde transfer saga.
According to Jose Manuel Garcia, Chelsea offered an initial €55 million for Kounde which was rejected by Sevilla.
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The Spaniards informed Chelsea that they wanted an extra €10 million in order to conclude a deal and the Blues accepted this, reaching a verbal agreement with the La Liga side.
However, after agreeing to send a counter-offer in writing, this never arrived in Seville.
This was later confirmed by Matteo Moretto, who stated that the deal to a standstill on Friday, when it came time to exchange the last documents.
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It remains unclear as to why Chelsea did not send the documents to Sevilla in order to conclude a deal, but with Barcelona appearing to be Kounde’s preference, the Blues may have learned from their past mistakes.
Earlier in the transfer window, Chelsea saw a £55 million bid accepted for Raphinha from Leeds United.
However, the Brazilian waited for two weeks before accepting an offer from Barcelona, leaving Chelsea in the dark.
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Keen to avoid a repeat of the time wasted, the Blues may have decided to end their pursuit of Kounde early and focus on other targets.
Furthermore, reports in England stated that Tuchel still had concerns about Kounde in regards to his height and the ability to deal with the physicality of the English leagues.
It remains to be seen as to who Chelsea will pursue instead of the French international as Tuchel looks to add to his squad before the beginning of the Premier League season next month.
Topics: Chelsea, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours, Sevilla, Barcelona, Jules Kounde, Football, Transfers
Nick Emms