Chelsea are reportedly showing the ‘strongest interest’ in trumping Liverpool in the race to sign Barcelona defender Jules Kounde, as per Caught Offside.
Since moving to Camp Nou from Sevilla, the 27-year-old has enjoyed a successful time, winning two La Liga titles and a few domestic cup competitions over the last few years.
This season, he has been helping his side mount another title charge, sitting seven points ahead of second-placed Real Madrid, with eight games left to play.
In 41 appearances across all competitions, the Frenchman has netted three goals and registered four assists. Moreover, he has helped his side keep nine clean sheets this term.
Now, Caught Offside claim that although Kounde recently signed a fresh term until 2030, the Blaugrana might be open to cashing-in on him this summer to raise funds amid their financial difficulties.
The France international remains keen on staying at the Catalan giants, but they are ready to let him leave for a fee of up to £70m.
Chelsea are planning to reinforce the defence with an experienced player and initially wanted to sign Harry Maguire as a free agent. However, the Englishman is close to staying at Old Trafford by signing a new short-term contract.
Battle
So, the Blues have now identified Kounde as a serious option. They hold a long-standing interest in the Barcelona star as they initially attempted to buy him from Sevilla before he decided to join the Catalan giants.
Liverpool and Manchester City are also interested in signing Kounde by taking advantage of his current situation and have been monitoring his development closely before making a potential swoop.
However, the West London club are showing the ‘strongest interest’ in finalising the operation and are ‘preparing an aggressive approach’ to win the race.
Kounde has been playing as a right-back for club and country in recent years. However, he initially started his career as a centre-back. He is quick, strong, good in the air, comfortable playing out from the back, and efficient in defensive contributions.
Kounde is currently at the prime stage of his career and could be a shrewd acquisition for Chelsea should they eventually manage to secure his services by defeating other clubs in this race.
