Chelsea hopeful of signing Sevilla defender Jules Kounde

Chelsea hope to sign Jules Kounde in a deal similar to the one they thought would land the defender last summer.

The west Londoners offered £42 million for Kounde 12 months ago and believed they had clinched an agreement only for Sevilla to move the goalposts and insist the £67m clause in his contract was paid in full.

But now Chelsea are hopeful that another bid in the region of £42m with the possibility of add-ons to take the total value of the deal up to £50m will be enough to land Kounde.

Kounde is understood to remain keen on a move to Stamford Bridge after being left frustrated by the collapse of the transfer last year. The 23-year-old agreed personal terms with Chelsea 12 months ago, which means negotiations with the player should be straightforward.

Sevilla have agreed to sell Kounde’s central defensive partner Diego Carlos to Aston Villa, but that deal will not impact Chelsea’s bid to sign Kounde.

The Spanish club need to raise funds this summer and privately acknowledge that it will be virtually impossible to try to keep Kounde at the club for a second summer after denying him a move last year.

Kounde’s former club Bordeaux are thought to be due money from a sell-on clause as part of any agreement that sees him leave Sevilla.

Head coach Thomas Tuchel, who has not scheduled any holiday so he can remain in England and hold transfer meetings with Chelsea’s new ownership group led by Todd Boehly, has stressed the importance of moving quickly in the transfer market.

Once the Boehly-fronted takeover is officially announced, then Chelsea are expected to try to move quickly on Kounde with Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen leaving on free transfers, and uncertainty still hanging over the future of Cesar Azpilicueta.

Chelsea have an eight-man list of defensive targets, with Tuchel needing at least two new recruits in the position to cover for Chelsea’s exits.