In a recent tweet, Telefoot journalist Julien Maynard offered an update on Chelsea‘s pursuit of Sevilla centre-half Jules Kounde this summer. It is understood that the Blues are unwilling to meet the Spanish club’s asking price for the French defensive ace in this off-season.
https://twitter.com/JulienMaynard/status/1422818267626881024
Kounde’s Rapid Rise In Spanish Football
Kounde took great strides towards improving himself at Seville during the last campaign when he managed to put in a string of commanding displays for his current employers on the defensive end of the field. The French centre-back found the back of the net on four occasions and provided one assist in 49 appearances for the Spanish outfit last season across all competitions.
The 22-year-old proved his worth as a solid defensive presence by averaging 0.8 tackles, 1.2 interceptions, 2.9 clearances, 0.6 shots and 0.9 dribbles per 90 minutes in La Liga. He even distributed the ball relatively well from the back after making 90.1% of his attempted passes in the Spanish first division (stats via whoscored).
At such a tender age, Kounde is already playing at a high level which makes him a good option for Chelsea to pursue in this summer transfer window. We can expect him to strengthen Thomas Tuchel’s defensive department considerably before the start of the new season.
Should The Blues Step Up Their Pursuit Of Kounde This Summer?
Kounde is often quick to scan the danger and can pull off some timely interceptions at the back for this team. He loves to get stuck in with a few crunching tackles to hamper the opposition’s rhythm in the game and doesn’t take too many chances when putting his foot through the ball inside his half.
A centre-back of Kounde’s quality and potential will be a welcome addition to Tuchel’s match-day squad ahead of the new campaign. The two-time France international will bolster Chelsea’s defensive options significantly and could serve as an ideal long-term successor to Thiago Silva, who is in the last legs of his playing career, at West London.
At 22, the best is yet to come from Kounde but there is no doubt that he is good enough to fight for a regular starting place with the likes of Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger at Stamford Bridge in the coming seasons. Thus, Tuchel should consider stepping up his pursuit for the Sevilla star as he will be an excellent signing for the long run.
