In a recent tweet, renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano mentioned that Chelsea are set to focus on recruiting Sevilla defender Jules Kounde this summer. It is understood that the Blues are yet to agree on a deal to land the French centre-half but are showing interest for him in this off-season.
Romelu Lukaku will be soon in London to sign his contract as new Chelsea player. Work in progress to plan for travel, medical and unveiling next week. 🔵🇧🇪 #CFC
After Lukaku, Chelsea will focus on next signing – Koundé always favourite option as centre back but not agreed yet.
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 7, 2021
Kounde’s Decent Run Of Form In Spanish Football Last Season
Kounde managed to catch the eye by producing a series of solid defensive displays at the centre of Sevilla’s backline last season. The 22-year-old participated in 49 matches for the Spanish club in the previous campaign, scoring four goals and providing one assist in all competitions.
The Paris-born defensive ace gave a good account of himself as he averaged 0.8 tackles, 1.2 interceptions, 2.9 clearances, 0.6 shots and 0.9 dribbles per 90 minutes in the 2020-21 La Liga season. Kounde was even exceptional with his ball distribution from the back, as evidenced by his pass success rate of 90.1% in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
The talented Frenchman is currently playing at a high level and could be good enough to secure a permanent starting spot in Thomas Tuchel’s first team if the Blues manage to lure him to the English capital before the end of this month.
What Will The French Defensive Ace Bring To Stamford Bridge?
Kounde has got good defensive awareness and can make some solid tackles on the defensive end of the field to disrupt the opponent’s rhythm in the game. He has got the hunger to win possession back for his team and is not afraid to clear his lines when the opposition players are on the front foot. The former FC Girondins Bordeaux talent is primarily a central defender but is versatile enough to fill in at the right-back position if required.
The French sensation is a composed presence on the ball and can be quite tidy when playing his way out from the back. Kounde can even contribute by scoring the odd goal from time to time which has made him such a valuable member of Sevilla’s match-day squad.
Tuchel would be wise to add another fresh face to his defence, so the La Liga centre-back fits the bill perfectly as he will provide good competition for Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Thiago Silva at the West London club in the coming seasons.
We can expect Kounde to bring plenty of quality to Chelsea’s backline as he has all the skillset required to be a success story in Premier League football. At 22, his future is quite bright, so Tuchel might fancy getting the best out of him in the years to come.
