Chelsea have given up on signing Jules Kounde from Sevilla according to reports in England carried by Sport. They’ve taken for granted that the 23-year-old French centre-back will instead be on his way to Barcelona in the coming hours.
But Chelsea still need to strengthen this summer, especially in defence. They’ve already lost Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger and could yet lose Cesar Azpilicueta and Marcos Alonso. They’ve brought in Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli but still need to strengthen if they’re to improve on last season’s third-placed finish in the Premier League. One such option the West London outfit have apparently identified is Nordi Mukiele of Leipzig.
Mukiele’s contract with Leipzig expires next summer and the German club are open to allowing him to leave for a good price. Paris Saint-Germain had been close to signing him for a fee of €15m but Chelsea’s presence in the race for his signature could change things, especially if they include Timo Werner in the deal.