Chelsea are reportedly leading the race for Sevilla defender Jules Kounde.
After Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen left the club this summer, the Blues have been in the market for central defenders.
Kalidou Koulibaly has recently joined from Napoli, but Chelsea are still looking to strengthen their backline ahead of the new season.
A recent report indicated that the Premier League club were reigniting their interest in Kounde, who is reportedly keen to leave Sevilla this summer.
According to Spanish journalist Manu Sainz, Chelsea are closing in on a deal for Kounde after fighting off interest from Barcelona.
Koundé está muy cerca de ser traspasado al Chelsea. Salvo giro radical, el club inglés espera que el acuerdo se cierre la próxima semana. Xavi habló con el jugador y le convenció para irse al Barça, pero el Chelsea apuesta más fuerte.
— Manu Sainz (@Manu_Sainz) July 17, 2022
Xavi attempted to convince Kounde to remain in La Liga and head to Camp Nou, but the Frenchman looks set to join Chelsea, who are hoping to reach an agreement with Sevilla in the next week.
After arriving at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan in 2019, Kounde looks set to leave after making 133 appearances for the Andalusian club.
