Jules Kounde’s future continues to be lost in the mist of uncertainty. Sevilla and the player are banking on a sale, but the where, the when and the how much are still up for plenty of debate.
Recently Manchester City had been placed in the frame for his signature for the first time, but Marca now say that Pep Guardiola won’t get involved. Chelsea were in negotiations with City for Nathan Ake but have been unable to meet their £50m (€58.8m) valuation. As a result of Ake staying, City have no need to find a replacement.
However it does mean that Chelsea might return to the scene. The Times say that the Blues may come back in for Kounde following their failure to land Ake. Sport also note that in England, SkySports have Barcelona as favourites for the Frenchman.
A follow-up reveals that Barcelona are aware of Chelsea’s interest though and could look to add quickly as a result. The Catalans now appear to have tied up Robert Lewandowski’s signature, making Kounde their priority. Their hope is that they can find a deal for some €45m, with a player being included. The most obvious candidate would have been Memphis Depay, who Barcelona are looking to move on, but the Dutch forward is not keen on a move to Andalusia.
All of this leaves Sevilla somewhat in the dark. While Chelsea and Barcelona work out their own transfer windows, Monchi and Kounde are left in limbo, the former awaiting money to invest in their squad. Los Nervionenses will be hoping a deal does come through shortly, as it could lead to them missing out on targets if they cannot move as they please.