‘We need to let him go, already verbally agreed terms with Chelsea’ – Club president confirms summer exits for £67million Chelsea target
Chelsea’s pursuit of Jules Kounde has received a major boost when Sevilla’s president revealed that the Spanish club has to sell players and raise finances this summer.
With both Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen about to depart the club on free transfers, the west Londoners have made recruiting a new centre-back their primary priority.
Despite the fact that the club is now unable to participate in transfer talks due to UK government penalties, Todd Boehly’s group is ready to move as soon as the takeover is confirmed.
Their top target is thought to be Kounde, and much of the groundwork for the transaction was laid last summer when they failed to lure the Frenchman away from Seville.
The Spanish side were adamant he would not be sold unless his £67million release clause was met, but Chelsea felt that was too much to pay.
A year on and the situation has changed significantly, with Sevilla needing to raise around £38m before June 30 to balance their books and remain within La Liga’s financial regulations.
Kounde is the club’s most sellable asset and now Sevilla president Jose Castro has confirmed that there are likely to be some significant departures this summer.
‘It hasn’t gone unnoticed that in recent summers we haven’t sold [players],’ he told Mundo Deportivo.
‘In January, in addition to having offers and not selling, we brought in Tecatito [Jesus Corona] and [Antony] Martial.
‘We need to align our accounts. We know how to do it well and that when there are exits, players that will perform in the future for us both economically and on the pitch will arrive.’
Sevilla are believed to have lowered their asking price for Kounde to around £59m, while the France international already verbally agreed terms with Chelsea last summer.
A deal could be completed quickly, which would suit Sevilla, though a sell-on clause included in his move from Bordeaux means the French side would be entitled to 20% of any fee; in order to balance their books and make a significant profit on Kounde, Sevilla therefore cannot lower their asking price anymore.
Unlike last summer, however, Chelsea now have an immediate and pressing need to sign a new centre-back – especially if Cesar Azpilicueta joins Rudiger and Christensen in leaving – and are likely to cede to Sevilla’s demands.