Chelsea seal third summer transfer after ‘beating Barcelona’ to secure Jules Kounde deal | Football | Sport

Chelsea looked to have moved on from Kounde after missing out on him last summer, identifying Matthijs de Ligt as their priority defensive target.

However, the 22-year-old snubbed a Stamford Bridge switch for Bayern Munich while Nathan Ake decided to remain at Manchester City, prompting the Blues to look elsewhere.

Despite recruiting two elite centre-halves this summer, Tuchel has his eyes on a third amid club captain Cesar Azpilicueta’s desire to leave for Barcelona.

Kounde’s impending arrival should facilitate his exit, with talks ongoing over a potential deal for Paris Saint-Germain’s Presnel Kimpembe.

Azpilicueta travelled with Chelsea for their pre-season trip to the United States after Tuchel informed him he must remain at the club until they sufficiently replaced him.

But he didn’t feature last time out against Charlotte FC and will likely now be given the green light to complete a move to the Nou Camp.

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