Chelsea transfer rumours are getting more interesting with each passing day.
With just over a month to go until deadline day, outgoings have dominated the agenda for the Blues so far with the likes of Olivier Giroud, Fikayo Tomori, Marc Guehi and Lewis Bate all leaving on permanent deals.
There has been one new arrival at Stamford Bridge this summer with goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli signing on a free, whilst the club continue to be linked with big-money moves for Erling Haaland, Romelu Lukaku and Declan Rice.
Another player said to be on Thomas Tuchel's radar is that of Sevilla's Jules Kounde as the German looks to bolster his central defensive options with the signing of one of European football's most promising prospects.
It's not the first time Kounde has been linked with a move to a Premier League side.
At the end of May, The Athletic reported that London rivals Arsenal had taken a liking to the Frenchman, although the idea of a potential deal was certainly ambitious from Mikel Arteta's side.
It was claimed that Kounde was unwilling to join a club not playing Champions League football next season - and the Gunners aren't even in Europe for the 2021/22 campaign.
But whilst that one demand has already been met, with the Blues qualifying for next season's Champions League as holders nonetheless, there is one potential problem.
The 22-year-old reportedly has a £60m price-tag on his head and given Sevilla director of football Monchi revealed a 'magnificent offer' for Kounde from Manchester City was rejected last summer, it's clear that Chelsea would have to meet that asking price if they're serious about completing a deal.
"We felt or did what we thought was fair and in defence of the interests of the club, also in an ambitious way, because many people would have chosen to accept that offer," Monchi told El Desmarque last year. "We value pros and cons and believe in the player, that has been key.
"We believe in the projection of a 21-year-old boy with a lot of ground to make up.
"Despite being a magnificent offer, very very good, it did not satisfy the requests or what we thought of the player.
"Perhaps it was not what he was worth, because possibly that offer was close to what he was worth at that moment; also we have to think about what he can be worth."
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