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Jules Koundé has been pushing for a move from Sevilla since the 2021-2022 season. The player came close to signing for Chelsea last summer, but Sevilla raised the asking amount in the final moments during negotiations with Chelsea. The Blues pulled out of the deal and the defender decided to stay at Sevilla for one more season.
Kounde had a good season for Sevilla, making 44 appearances for the club, with the team finishing fourth in La Liga. Earlier in the summer, a move to Chelsea seemed close for the Frenchman, but nothing has yet materialized. The delay has allowed a couple of other clubs to get involved in the race.
Below, we look at them along with Chelsea to see which club Kounde might play for in the upcoming season.
#1 Barcelona - They want everyone
How Barcelona are signing players, given their financial situation, is a mystery to many. The club managed to sell a portion of its TV rights to make money and sign players like Raphinha and register Frank Kessié and Andreas Christensen. They have an agreement in place with Bayern Munich for Robert Lewandowski. The Catalan club have Koundé on their list as well.
Barcelona owe their current players wages, and that is one of the reasons Frenkie de Jong has not left the club. The Dutchman is owed €17 million in deferred wages. Their cash injections seem like short-term bailouts for a club that is continuing to dig a deeper hole for itself. Amongst all this uncertainty, some players genuinely find the prospect of joining Barcelona appealing.
Sevilla want a minimum of £50 million for him, and according to Barca Universal (quoting Gerard Moreno), the club have agreed on personal terms. Koundé can play centre-back as well as right-back. With the arrival of Christensen, Kounde will probably feature more on the right, where Sergino Dest is the club's only specialist option.
It would not be a surprise if the club gets the player because financial constraints seem to be beyond them, but it is unlikely.
#2 Manchester City - Unlikely destination
Manchester City's interest in the player spans a couple of seasons, but they haven't sent any concrete offers. The rumored links with the player sparked up again when Chelsea were negotiating with City for Nathan Aké. Aké is now staying at Manchester City, according to The Athletic, which has poured cold water over the rumored links for the Frenchman.
City have several options at centre-back, with John Stones, Aymeric Laporte, Ruben Dias and Aké. Adding another big-money centre-back in Koundé would make little sense for the Premier League winners.
With six weeks left in the transfer window, Pep Guardiola is overseeing a mini-clear-out of his squad. If a centre-back does leave, then Koundé could be a possibility if he is available.
#3 Chelsea - Koundé's likeliest destination?
Chelsea's interest in Koundé cooled after Marina Granovskaia left her position as Director of Football towards the end of June. Thomas Tuchel focused on other targets, and once Matthijs de Ligt seemed focused on Bayern Munich, Chelsea bought Kalidou Koulibaly. According to the Evening Standard, Chelsea have reignited their interest in the Sevilla player after Aké decided to stay in Manchester.
Tuchel is also interested in Presnel Kimpembe from Paris Saint Germain, and Koundé would add balance to the right side of central defense. He can also fill in at right-back and right-wing back.
Cesar Azpilicueta's potential departure would create space for a third centre-back. Whether or not Chelsea get a deal done is yet to be seen, but talks are once again being held between the two clubs.
