Chelsea are reportedly ready to clinch the signing of Sevilla defender Jules Kounde as soon as the takeover of the club by the Todd Boehly consortium is completed.
The club have been left in limbo since Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the British government in March, but a takeover now seems close, with the Blues announcing that they have come to an agreement over a deal worth £4.25bn. The move, when completed, will make Chelsea the most expensive sports club in history, eclipsing the £2.5bn that was paid by Joseph Tsai to take over the Brookyln Nets in the NBA in 2019.
And, with the first team in dire need of reinforcements, they will need to be active in the transfer market this summer. However, in good news for Blues fans, it seems as though a move for Jules Kounde is well underway, with Goal reporting that 'Chelsea have put in place plans to sign Sevilla's Jules Kounde as soon as Todd Boehly's takeover is complete and sanctions end.'
A move long in the making
Chelsea chased the defender for much of the summer of 2021, only to baulk at his release clause value, leaving the Frenchman stuck in Seville. But, with Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen both in line to leave the club on free transfers this summer, and Cesar Azpilicueta seemingly also with one foot out the door, defensive reinforcements are a must.
It cannot solely be Kounde, either, with at least one more centre-back required to keep Chelsea at the level that they want to be at. However, adding the French international is certainly a good start to the window.