Chelsea transfer news: Todd Boehly failed to bring Jules Kounde to Stamford Bridge in the summer but may finally land the defender this year
Multiple unnamed Saudi Arabian clubs are interested in signing Thiago Silva (Image: Rob Newell)
Chelsea may revive their interest in one of their failed transfer targets this summer, following news that Thiago Silva is attracting interest from outside of Europe.
Multiple unnamed clubs from Saudi Arabia are interested in signing the Brazilian and have made contact with the Blues, a source has told football.london. Silva signed a 12-month extension on his contract back in February, but the club are unlikely to stand in his way should he decide to leave the club in the summer.
At 38, it’s unlikely that Silva will play as much of a key role in Mauricio Pochettino’s defence next season. Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana are expected to be the preferred pairing after the summer, meaning Silva could be free to leave.
Should a deal for the experienced defender be sanctioned, Todd Boehly may be forced to delve back into the transfer market to bolster the options for next season.
Jules Kounde was heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge last year, with Chelsea in advanced talks with Sevilla for the France international. However, Barcelona managed to overcome their financial restrictions and hijack the deal.
The 24-year-old helped Barca win the La Liga title this season, but played large parts of the season at right-back. However, according to Spanish outlet Sport, Kounde is ‘willing to leave’ the Catalonia club this summer after a number of unfilled promises from Xavi.
It’s claimed Kounde opted for the move to Barca over Chelsea because he was assured he’d be viewed as a central defender this season. Yet, Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen have been preferred, forcing Kounde to play at right-back.
The report from Spain suggests Chelsea ‘will go’ for the signing and are willing to pay more than the £47.6million Barcelona paid for him this time last year.
Chelsea have invested heavily in the centre-back area under Boehly’s ownership. Over £150m has been spent to lure Fofana, Badiashile and Kalidou Koulibaly to west London, yet the defensive struggles this season mean further reinforcements may be made.
Source: football.london
