Just 12 months after Chelsea’s eye-catching transfer shot that saw Roman Abramovich shoot out around £ 220m on five new gigs, the Blues owner is set to reopen his checkbook.
Abramovich is not only willing to pay as much as £ 150 million for Erling Haaland, it has recently been revealed that Chelsea are in advanced talks with the highly ranked Sevilla defender Jules Kounde.
Jules Kounde is on Chelsea’s wish list / Fran Santiago / Getty Images
The Frenchman has reportedly already been courted by Manchester United and Tottenham in recent weeks, but Chelsea have now emerged as the main ones to secure the youth’s signature.
Discussions with Sevilla are already under way – with personal terms that are practically in agreement – although La Liga clothing is keen to generate as close as possible to Kounde’s € 80 million (£ 68) release from the sale.
Such an extortionate price tag would probably ward off interest from most teams, but given Chelsea’s history of big money signings, it seems likely that an agreement will be reached sometime in the near future.
So with Kounde potentially heading to Stamford Bridge, what will the French international with two caps for Thomas Tuchel?
First of all, it is a question of whether Kounde would fit into Tuchel’s start-XI. The 22-year-old has formed a formidable partnership with Diego Carlos in Sevilla, but Julen Lopetegui’s preference for back four means that Kounde does not have much experience of back three – a system he more than likely has to adapt to under Tuchel.
Although he does not have much experience of playing in a back three, Kounde can play with both feet – even though he is mainly high-legged – and can play on either side of a two-man midfield partnership, so slots in Chelsea’s system should not cause much of a problem.
Jules Kounde’s football ability could see him fit in at Chelsea / Quality Sport Images / Getty Images
One of the most impressive aspects of Kounde’s play – and more than likely the main reason why Tuchel has taken such a keen interest in the youngster – is his ability to get the ball rolling.
Since Tuchel was appointed Chelsea manager, Andreas Christensen has become a crucial part of the Blues’ back line, despite spending the majority of the first part of the 2020/21 season on the fringes of the first team’s action.
There are plenty of weaknesses to exploit in Denmark’s international, although his ability to sit in the heart of the defense and play from the back has seen him become a key man in Tuchel’s side – Kounde can offer exactly the same thing.
The France international is as close to a complete midfielder as you are likely to find, with pace, strength and a solid reading of the game.
People, Kounde is legitimately amazing.
You should be excited by the links. pic.twitter.com/iHkGPVDyEK
– ExpectedChelsea (@ExpectedChelsea) July 27, 2021
The only thing you can think of if you are looking for a fault in his game is his relative lack of height, but his impressive leap compensates more than that and he won more headlines (118, according to FBref) than any of his Sevilla teammates during La Liga the 2020/21 season.
Kounde has also been shown to be able to fill a number of positions over the back line since he burst onto the scene with Bordeaux four years ago – playing in back and wingback at times – meaning he could be a decent tool option for Tuchel going forward, although The Chelsea boss obviously wants to play him in his most comfortable role in midfield where possible.
Should the Blues decide to splash out on the Sevilla man this summer, he will more than likely be nailed at the start given the money required to praise him from the La Liga kit.
Given the fierce competition for places in the Chelsea defense – with Fikayo Tomori and Marc Guehi’s respective departures still leaving five seniors at the club if you take into account Cesar Azpilicueta – you would be forgiven for asking yourself ‘do they actually need him? ‘.
Thomas Tuchel is keen to strengthen his backline this summer / David Ramos / Getty Images
It’s definitely a fair question to ask, but with the aforementioned Azpilicueta and in particular Thiago Silva entering the twilight of their respective careers, Kounde not only represents a good player at present but he is also a sound investment for the future.
Kounde is an excellent player who would probably play seamlessly in most teams in Europe right now and if Chelsea can secure their signing, they will be a force to be reckoned with next season.
