Interest from Chelsea in Sevilla defender Jules Kounde has intensified to the point that GOAL has learned that the France international defender is now exploring the possibility of moving into the house recently left vacant by Romelu Lukaku following his loan move back to Inter.
House swapping is not all that uncommon in football circles as players frequently find themselves on the move from one destination to the next.
Will Kounde sign for Chelsea?
Kounde could be the next big-money arrival at Chelsea, with the Blues having already snapped up Raheem Sterling and Kalidou Koulibaly this summer.
Those at Stamford Bridge believe Kounde can be convinced to take on a new challenge in England, with the versatile 23-year-old making it clear to Sevilla that he wants out after generating plenty of interest in previous windows.
Kounde is willing to listen to what Chelsea have to say and is looking into the possibility of unpacking his belongings at a house that Lukaku last occupied.
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Have Chelsea agreed a fee for Kounde?
The Premier League heavyweights saw an opening bid of $47 million ($56m) for the talented Frenchman knocked back, with that offer falling some way short of Sevilla’s asking price.
A second move has now been made, though, which gets closer to Kounde’s valuation.
Sevilla are, however, eager to get as much of the £55m ($67m) that Chelsea have offered paid up front as possible, with various add-ons always having to be taken into account when such deals are done.
No agreement has been put in place with Chelsea as yet, but Kounde – who has undergone an operation to clear up a niggling injury this summer – will not be linking up with Sevilla’s squad for their pre-season camp in Portugal.
A switch to west London is considered to be the most likely outcome at this stage, but reports in Spain continue to suggest that Barcelona may make a late play for Kounde as they look to further bolster their defensive unit.
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