Report: 22-year-old convinced to join Chelsea after having discussion with Thomas Tuchel
Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has played a key role in Chelsea’s pursuit of Sevilla’s Jules Kounde and already had a discussion with the defender, RMC Sport claims.
According to the latest report from Fabrizio Romano, the negotiation between Chelsea and Sevilla seem to be in its later stages, with the London club offering a potential player-plus-cash deal.
Reports suggest that Kounde has an €80million (£68.3m) release clause in his contract, but Chelsea are reportedly hoping to reduce the transfer fee to €30-35m by involving Kurt Zouma in their offer.
French outlet RMC Sport now claims that 22-year-old has already reached personal agreements with Chelsea.
The France international, the report added, was convinced about the potential move after having a discussion with Chelsea boss Tuchel over tactical and career plans.
Chronicle view
Many would find it surprising that Chelsea are reportedly close to signing a young centre-back after letting go of their academy talents, such as Fikayo Tomori, Marc Guehi, and recently Dynel Simeu.
Tuchel’s reported involvement in Kounde’s potential deal, however, suggests that the manager himself seems to be behind the idea.
It is easy to see why Chelsea are in the market for a new centre-back, though.
Despite the impressive defensive record under Tuchel last season, they are still at risk of losing both Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger whose contracts expire next summer.
Goal recently claimed that the contract talks between Chelsea and the centre-back pair are still not in an advanced stage.
