Chelsea have reportedly reignited their interest in Sevilla defender Jules Kounde, as manager Thomas Tuchel looks to strengthen his squad further.
The Blues broke their transfer record to re-sign Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan last week and the Belgian starred in the 2-0 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday by scoring the opener, helping Thomas Tuchel’s side maintain a 100 per cent start to the new Premier League season.
With just over a week left for the summer transfer window to slam shut, Tuchel seemingly wants to reinforce his backline despite his team keeping two clean sheets in the league in a row.
According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea are back in talks with Sevilla for the £68m-rated Jules Kounde and are looking to restructure their squad to make a deal happen. Players like Davide Zappacosta, Ike Ugbo, Malang Sarr, Kurt Zouma and Tiemoue Bakayoko could be on their way out of Stamford Bridge to clear space in Tuchel’s squad.
Jules Kounde to Chelsea—A wise move by Thomas Tuchel?
Following two solid seasons with Sevilla, where he won the 2019/20 Europa League by beating Inter Milan, Jules Kounde, 22, regarded as one of the best young defenders in Europe, has emerged as the Blues’ top target in central defence despite youngster Trevoh Chalobah’s recent impressive displays in the first-team.
Kounde was one of LaLiga’s standout defenders last season, helping Sevilla secure a fourth-placed finish on the table. Having made his debut for France in a friendly against Wales in June, he was called up to the national team squad by manager Didier Deschamps for the European Championships earlier this summer. He played just once as Les Blues were eliminated by Switzerland in the Euro 2020’s round of 16.
The 22-year-old is an excellent ball-playing centre-half with the ability to go on mazy runs with the ball one of the trademarks of his game. Kounde is quick across the grass and rarely gets beaten in a 1v1 situation. Despite standing at 5ft 10ins tall, which is considered relatively short for a centre-half, the Frenchman is strong in the air and never hesitates to go toe-to-toe with physically dominant forwards.
Ideally a centre-back, the former Bordeaux man can also play at right-back, and such versatility would be a boon for a tactically astute manager like Tuchel. While he’s gone from strength to strength as a modern-day defender, Jules Kounde isn’t a finished product and has a lot to improve in the coming years. Truly, he could fulfil his massive potential under Tuchel at Stamford Bridge.
One of Chelsea’s biggest strengths under Tuchel has been their defence, and the potential addition of an exciting talent like Jules Kounde could make them absolutely impenetrable. Kounde has the required tools to flourish in the fast-paced nature of the Premier League, making him the perfect defensive target for the Blues.
