Paris Saint-Germain have set their asking price for defender Presnel Kimpembe as Chelsea target a central defender this summer, according to reports.
The Blues have already seen former Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly signed for a fee of £34 million, with Thomas Tuchel making strides to rebuild his defence.
However, with both Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen having departed, the German is keen for additional defensive acquisitions.
Speaking after Chelsea’s 4-0 loss to Arsenal in pre-season, the head coach admitted that he is desperate for new players and in particular, defenders.
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"We had an urgent appeal for quality players and a huge amount of quality players. We got two quality players no doubt but we’re not competitive like this and you could see that today,” he said.
"If you want to play three at the back you need to have three in the back. If you don’t, it’s not worth playing three in the back.
"Given that Kalidou (Koulibaly) was ready for only 25 mins today and who was available we tried to play 4-4-2.
"I think it was not a structure problem. It was behaviour in the structure. That’s much more important."
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Last week, Chelsea had reportedly sealed a new defender reportedly over, with The Blues said to be ‘winning the race’ for Jules Kounde.
However, it appears now that the deal has become more complicated as the 23-year-old could hold out for a move to Barcelona.
It remains unclear as to whether Chelsea have a chance of signing Kounde, who has been a long-term target for the club.
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Therefore, the Blues will have to look elsewhere.
PSG’s Kimpembe has been linked with a switch to Stamford Bridge multiple times this summer, having previously worked with Tuchel during their time together in France.
It has now been revealed by The Times that the French champions will only accept an offer in the region of £60 million this summer for the 26-year-old.
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The defender has reportedly asked to explore his options, with the club happy to keep him.
Juventus are said to have already approached the French international after losing Matthijs de Ligt to Bayern Munich, but with Bremer joining the Serie A side it remains to be seen as to whether they need another central defender.
Tuchel will be hoping to step up his pursuit for another centre back as the Premier League season kicks off in less than two weeks time.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Chelsea, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours, Paris Saint-Germain, Transfers, Football, Thomas Tuchel