Sevilla’s president has confirmed that the Spanish club need to sell players and raise funds this summer, handing a massive boost in their pursuit of Jules Kounde.
The west Londoners have made signing a new centre-back their top priority, with both Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen set to leave the club on free transfers.
Although the club are currently unable to engage in any transfer talks due to the sanctions imposed on them by the UK government, they are primed to move as soon as Todd Boehly’s consortium have completed their takeover.
Kounde is believed to be and a lot of the groundwork for the deal was already done last summer when they failed to prise the Frenchman away from Seville.
The Spanish side were adamant he would not be sold unless his £67million release clause was met, but Chelsea felt that was too much to pay.
A year on and the situation has changed significantly, with Sevilla needing to raise around £38m before June 30 to balance their books and remain within La Liga’s financial regulations.
Kounde is the club’s most sellable asset and now Sevilla president Jose Castro has confirmed that there are likely to be some significant departures this summer.
‘It hasn’t gone unnoticed that in recent summers we haven’t sold [players],’ he told Mundo Deportivo.
‘In January, in addition to having offers and not selling, we brought in Tecatito [Jesus Corona] and [Antony] Martial.
‘We need to align our accounts. We know how to do it well and that when there are exits, players that will perform in the future for us both economically and on the pitch will arrive.’
Sevilla are believed to have lowered their asking price for Kounde to around £59m, while the France international already verbally agreed terms with Chelsea last summer.
A deal could be completed quickly, which would suit Sevilla, though a sell-on clause included in his move from Bordeaux means the French side would be entitled to 20% of any fee; in order to balance their books and make a significant profit on Kounde, Sevilla therefore cannot lower their asking price anymore.
Unlike last summer, however, Chelsea now have an immediate and pressing need to sign a new centre-back – especially if Cesar Azpilicueta joins Rudiger and Christensen in leaving – and are likely to cede to Sevilla’s demands.
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