In a recent print edition, Mundo Deportivo (via Sport Witness) claimed that Sevilla are waiting for an offer from Chelsea for Jules Kounde this summer. It is understood that the French defensive ace has already reached an agreement with the Blues but Thomas Tuchel’s side are yet to agree on a deal with the Spanish outfit for their prized asset.
Kounde’s Excellent Form At The Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium
Kounde had a solid campaign at Seville last season when he managed to find some consistency with his contributions for his current employers on the defensive end of the field. The 22-year-old made 49 appearances for the Andalusian outfit in the previous campaign, netting four goals and securing one assist in all competitions.
The 22-year-old gave a good account of himself inside his half 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. He can even distribute the ball with accuracy after completing 90.1% of his attempted passes in the top tier of Spanish football (stats via whoscored).
Kounde has taken great strides towards improving the defensive side of his game and deserves credit for establishing himself as one of the best centre-backs in Spanish football. Hence, Chelsea can benefit a lot from recruiting him during this summer transfer window.
Should The Blues Launch A Move For Kounde This Summer?
Kounde is a decent tackler of the ball and can read the danger quickly to earn possession back for his side. He also doesn’t take too many chances when clearing his lines and can be a hard man to knock off the ball. Kounde is primarily a centre-half but can also operate as a right-back if required.
The French sensation loves to play his way out from the back and is quite a composed presence on the ball. However, there are some concerns over whether he can cope with the physical nature of English football if the Blues manage to land him this summer.
Thus, Kounde could turn out to be a great fit for a club like Chelsea as the player ticks all the right boxes in terms of what Thomas Tuchel expects from his defenders. He would serve as an upgrade over Kurt Zouma who has been guilty of being inconsistent at times at the West London club last season.
There is no doubt that the Sevilla youngster will enhance the quality of Tuchel’s match-day squad and could help the London team challenge for plenty of major silverware in the years to come. Therefore, the Blues should think about launching a move to bring Kounde to Stamford Bridge before the end of this transfer window.
