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Jules Kounde is heading to Chelsea this summer, as per Barcelona president Joao Laporta, who was seemingly recorded by a fan revealing the Frenchman's future.
Chelsea and Barcelona have been battling for as many as three players this summer. Lewandowski and Raphinha have already moved to Camp Nou, while Kounde's future is still in the air.
Sevilla have reportedly agreed terms for Kounde's departure, as per journalist Ben Jacobs. A Barcelona fan caught up with Laporta and seemingly recorded him saying the French defender was off to Stamford Bridge.
The video was posted on Twitter with the Barcelona president saying:
"Koundé, no. He's been signed by Chełsea."
One can also interpret that Laporta might have said those words in either a joking or frustrating manner. This, considering that Barcelona don't seem to be in the driving seat for the Frenchman's signature.
Sevilla confirm deal for Barcelona and Chelsea target
Julen Lopetegui has confirmed a transfer for Kounde is imminent, as per Sevilla-based independent journalist InfoSevillismo via football.london. However, he did not reveal which club had struck a deal with the Spanish side.
The Sevilla manager said:
"Kounde arrived at the Ciudad Deportiva of Sevilla FC but has not trained with his teammates. Departure is imminent."
Thomas Tuchel also refused to shed light on the rumors and focused on Levi Colwill, the highly rated defender in Chelsea's squad. As per SPORTbible, he stated:
"With Levi, it is too early to give an answer. What I will say now, I maybe have to take back or give another opinion in a few weeks, I simply haven't seen enough of him in our group. He got a bit of an injury and was out of training for several days.
He added:
"Once you are out it takes a while to catch up against especially those who aren't used to that level. The fact he is still here is very easy, we don't know him enough so he needs to stay here. We need more impressions of him to get a better outlook on the situation. But like what Chalobah did last season, everyone is invited to do the same."
Barcelona and Chelsea remain confident of signing Kounde this summer, and the saga could end this week.
