Sevilla have confirmed that Jules Kounde has been left out of their squad ahead of their upcoming pre-season tour.
In an official statement on the club’s Twitter account, the Spanish side named their 31-man squad for the friendlies in Portugal, with the Frenchman not named as part of the travelling party.
The news comes as Chelsea continue to get closer to completing a long-awaited deal for the 23-year-old, with it even being claimed they have agreed a deal with the La Liga outfit over a deal.
However, Barcelona have remained interested in potentially signing Kounde, although it has been claimed the offer they have made the player falls way short compared to the terms he has been offered by the London club.
Either way, it has become clear he will be on the move, after Sevilla’s official squad announcement confirmed he was left out of the travelling party, indicating the move will be completed in the near future.
Yesterday, the France international was spotted leaving the club’s training ground, with him seemingly saying his goodbyes to Sevilla fans.
The deal has gained a new level of importance among the Chelsea owners, with the possibility of Barcelona hijacking the deal not being a new one this summer.
Kounde left out of Sevilla squad
After the Blues agreed a fee with Leeds United for the signing of Raphinha, the Catalan side swooped in at the last moment, using the Brazilian’s desire to join them as leverage to bide enough time to raise the funds to sign the winger.
Losing out on Kounde in a similar fashion would be a massive statement as to where Chelsea stand amongst the elite sides in the transfer market, with new owner Todd Boehly now under pressure with supporters to ensure they remain big players as far as transfers go.