The Blues are reportedly closing in on Jules Kounde but will face competition from Barcelona, who has designated the Sevilla defender as their No. 1 target.
Per speculations, Chelsea is hoping to reach an official agreement as soon as next week. Xavi, Barcelona’s manager, is said to have spoken with the player, but he appears to be on his way to Stamford Bridge.
A deal for Kounde, 23, would be a significant boost to Thomas Tuchel’s efforts to rebuild his defense following the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.
Kalidou Koulibaly signed for Napoli for £34 million this week, and Kounde would give Chelsea’s head coach more options at the back.
But Barcelona will not go down without a fight. The Catalan giants are hoping to build on an encouraging week in the transfer market, in which they were close to making some major signings.
According to Marca, he is now the top priority for the La Liga club, who are preparing a £51 million bid.
While Barcelona did sign Christensen earlier in the transfer window, it is believed that they are looking for another center-back.
Due to a pelvic operation, he had last month, Kounde has yet to join Sevilla’s first team on tour in South Korea.
