£51m player wants to stay at Barcelona amid interest from Chelsea

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Chelsea could find it difficult to lure one Barcelona player to Stamford Bridge in the summer.

Jules Kounde is somebody who Chelsea are interested in signing, according to Sport.

However, the same outlet has claimed that the defender’s priority is to remain at Barcelona, whom he joined from Sevilla back in 2022.

Barcelona paid €60m (£51m) to sign Kounde, beating off competition from Chelsea. But it looks like the Blues are still interested in the 25-year-old and could make a fresh move for him in the summer.

It has been claimed that Chelsea have scouted Kounde during this current campaign.

Jules Kounde wants to stay at Barcelona

Barcelona are probably one of the three biggest clubs in the world alongside rivals Real Madrid and Manchester United.

Getting a move there would have been a dream come true for Kounde, making it no surprise that the Frenchman wants to stay at the Spotify Camp Nou.

Nevertheless, Chelsea should still try to sign Kounde, who could be a fantastic addition to Mauricio Pochettino‘s squad.

Kounde can play at centre-back and right-back and while the France international is not the tallest defender, he has still coped pretty well in the air this season.

According to WhoScored, Kounde is winning 2.4 aerial duels per game in La Liga, which is the second-highest average in Xavi’s squad.

Thiago Silva looks set to leave Chelsea in the summer when his contract expires. The Blues have been linked with several centre-backs, including Sporting Lisbon’s Ousmane Diomande, so it looks like they could enter the market to replace the Brazilian.

Do not be surprised, then, if the club make a move for Kounde in the next transfer window. With the former Sevilla man keen to remain at Barcelona, though, Chelsea may have a lot of convincing to do if they want to bring him to Stamford Bridge ahead of the 2024/25 season.