Jules Kounde, a star for Sevilla, skipped Wednesday’s LaLiga training session as his protracted transfer to Chelsea nears completion.
The center-back has been sought after by Thomas Tuchel’s team all summer. In fact, the Blues have pursued the 23-year-old over the past three transfer windows. Last summer, Chelsea came very close to signing the France star, but Sevilla changed the goal posts just before the deadline.
However, Kounde has continued to be Chelsea’s top target, and a transfer appears to be getting closer. The same source that told me Chelsea were confident about signing Raheem Sterling weeks ago is now saying the same about Jules Kounde, according to Simon Johnson of The Athletic.
Additionally, Kounde did not participate in Wednesday’s first-team squad training session in Seville, according to Ben Jacobs of CBS Sports. According to the reporter, Sevilla does not want to jeopardise a transfer to Chelsea.
Monchi, the sporting director, does not want the player to go to Portugal for the remainder of their preseason because he is preparing to leave.
The rest of the Sevilla team is getting ready for the second preseason phase, which begins on Thursday with a trip to Portugal.
Chelsea and the player’s add-ons are reportedly close to reaching an agreement on a fee of about €60 million. The team made a €55 million offer earlier in the week, which Sevilla is believed to have rejected.
The fee structure is still being discussed.
