Chelsea’s pursuit of Sevilla defender Jules Kounde continues this transfer window, with the Spanish club refusing to sell him for less than €65 million (£55.6 million).
The Blues have been interested in the 23-year-old for over a year, and made an unsuccessful bid for his services last summer.
Chelsea are in desperate need of centre-back reinforcements following the summer departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen, and Kounde remains their top priority.
They will almost certainly get their man, but Sevilla will not be bullied into selling him for a low price, according to Spanish daily Marca, who claims that they will not sell him for less than €65 million (£55.6 million).
This is less than the €80 million (£68.5 million) they demanded for the defender last year, which scuttled his move to Stamford Bridge after it appeared that a cheaper fee had been agreed upon.
The move to West London was so near that Kounde admitted it had an impact on his performances at the start of the season.
‘Yes, a little bit,’ he told Telefoot. ‘But now I’ve dealt with it.’
Sevilla CEO Jose Maria Cruz has admitted that Kounde is keen to move on, looking for a switch to a bigger club than his current employers.
‘He is happy with us. In the case of Kounde, it is not a matter of money. It’s a matter of him wanting to play in a more competitive team than Sevilla,’ Cruz told Sporting Witness.
‘I am sure he is a player that is attractive for teams like Chelsea, FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich and these types of teams. He wants to play in a more competitive team.’