Chelsea are set to beat Barcelona to the signing of Sevilla defender Jules Kounde, according to The Telegraph’s Matt Law.
Per the report, the three-way transfer saga appears to have finally come to an end, with Julen Lopetegui’s side accepting the Blues’ £55 million offer.
The French defender is expected to put pen to paper on a five-year contract with the West Londoners, who are now on the cusp of landing their man following last year’s failed pursuit.
Kounde, who has been a long-term target for Thomas Tuchel’s side, was inches away from a move to Stamford Bridge last summer until Sevilla pulled the plug on the deal by demanding an increased fee.
After cooling their interest in the 23-year-old, Chelsea rekindled their pursuit in recent weeks after falling short in their moves for Manchester City’s Nathan Ake and Matthijs de Ligt, who opted for Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
Meanwhile, following the arrival of Andreas Christensen, Barcelona identified Kounde as a potential transfer target as Xavi seeks to add quality and depth to his defence.
The Blaugrana have already bolstered their options at the opposite end of the pitch, with Brazilian forward Raphinha and ex-Bayern goal machine Robert Lewandowski coming through the doors.
However, Chelsea are said to have have successfully beaten off competition from the Camp Nou outfit for the signature Jules Kounde and are set to make him their third summer signing.
The Frenchman will join English forward Raheem Sterling and former Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly as players to switch to the North London club this summer as Tuchel strengthens his squad for the 2022-23 campaign.
The arrival of Kounde, whose versatility allows him to comfortably fit into the right side of Tuchel’s preferred three-man defence or at right wing-back, could spell the end of Cesar Azpilicueta’s time at Stamford Bridge.
Alongside Marcos Alonso, Azpilicueta has been heavily linked with a return to Spain this summer and the 32-year-old has reportedly agreed personal terms with Barcelona on a two-year contract.
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