Chelsea reignite pursuit of in-demand Barcelona defensive target – report

Having completed the some major deals over the past couple of weeks, Barcelona are focusing their attention on getting the signings of Robert Lewandowski and Jules Kounde over the line.

While the Lewandowski deal has stalled due to resistance from Bayern Munich, things seemed a little simpler with regard to the Kounde operation as Sevilla are in need of making quick sales to sign new players.

Furthermore, the 23-year-old Frenchman is believed to have agreed personal terms with Barcelona, which would help speed up the process.

However, there could be a fresh twist in the tale as Chelsea have rekindled their interest in Kounde and are working on signing him from Sevilla this summer.

This claim comes from GianlucaDiMarzio.com, with the report stating that the Blues have decided to rekindle their pursuit of the Barcelona target after having ended their interest in him in the recent past.

Chelsea are in the market for defensive reinforcements and are closing on on the signing of Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli. They were also believed to be keen on signing Nathan Ake from Manchester City, but the move has stalled.

It has forced Chelsea to turn their focus back on Kounde, with Thomas Tuchel still keen on bolstering his defensive roster. It is claimed that the interest in the Frenchman is being driven by the club’s new owner, Todd Boehly.

The report further states that it could even be the next signing that happens at Chelsea this summer, which would indicate that Barcelona are facing the risk of missing out on the signing of Kounde.

It seems like we could be gearing up for another battle similar to the one to sign Raphinha. While Barça prevailed in that race, it remains to be seen if they can beat Chelsea for the capture of Kounde as well.