Barcelona have announced that they have reached an agreement in principle for the transfer of Jules Koude, beat Chelsea to the Sevilla defender.
Kounde looked poised to move to Chelsea last week, having been linked with Stamford Bridge since last summer, before the Catalan club ducked in to steal the player from below. Thomas Tuchelhis nose.
The fee for the 23-year-old is estimated to be around £45 million, and the deal is still subject to his medical clearance and contract signing.
The France international has been one of the most impressive young central defenders in Europe’s top leagues in recent seasons. He signed for Sevilla from Bordeaux in his home country three years ago, with the La Liga club paying just over £25 million for his services.
He won the UEFA Europa League with his new squad at the end of his first season in Spain, and was part of the French national team to emerge victorious in the 2020/21 UEFA Nations League.
He will be Barcelona’s fifth signing of the summer after the arrival of Franck Kessie, ex-Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, although questions remain about how Xavi’s side has been able to afford all of these players given their well-documented financial problems.
Either way, it’s another huge transfer boost for Chelsea, who have seen countless defensive targets relegate to West London.
Matthijs de Ligt chose Bayern Munich from Juventus, while Nathan Ake and Presnel Kimpembe chose Manchester City and PSG respectively.
Tuchel has managed to add centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly to his squad alongside forward Raheem Sterling, but this has been a very frustrating first transfer window for new Blues owner Todd Boehly.
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