In a recent report, The Evening Standard mentioned that Chelsea are set to reignite their interest in Sevilla defender Jules Kounde this winter. It is understood that the Blues are hoping to go back in for the French centre-back despite failing to acquire his signature last summer.
Kounde’s Recent Form At The The Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán
The 22-year-old proved himself to be a reliable defender in Spanish football in the previous campaign when he put in a handful of commanding performances at the heart of Sevilla’s defence. Kounde was involved in 49 matches for the Andalusian club last season, netting four goals and picking up one assist across all competitions.
The talented Frenchman continued to excel for his team on the defensive end of the field after 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 campaign. He also distributed possession with relative ease from the back as he completed 90.1% of his attempted passes in the Spanish top-flight (stats via whoscored).
At 22, Kounde has done remarkably well to establish himself as one of the best centre-halves in Spain. However, only time will tell whether he can maintain his high standards in England where he might struggle to cope with the physicality and high intensity of Premier League football.
Is Kounde The Right Choice For The Blues This January?
Kounde is often quick to scan the danger and doesn’t mind clearing his lines when the opposition are on the offensive. He is a good tackler of the ball and has got the tenacity to earn possession back for his side inside his half. The French sensation hardly gives away the ball and loves to play his way out from the back. Therefore, Tuchel Tuchel can undoubtedly use a central defender of Kounde’s skillset to bolster his squad depth next year.
Kounde has what it takes to earn a regular spot in Chelsea’s starting XI as he is good enough to compete with Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Thiago Silva at Stamford Bridge over the next couple of years. We can expect the Frenchman to add a lot of quality to Tuchel’s defensive department that might be enough to help the Blues challenge for multiple trophies in the future.
With all things considered, Kounde will be a decent choice for the West London giants to pursue during the winter transfer window as he has the potential to become a world-class centre-half under the expert tutelage of Tuchel in the coming seasons.
