Jules Kounde is said to be disappointed by Tottenham’s interest in him as he hopes to play Champions League football next season.
The 22-year-old impressed in La Liga last season for Sevilla, earning him attention from the Premier League, with both Spurs and Chelsea interested.
Thomas Tuchel has reportedly made Kounde their number one defensive target for the window, but after spending £97.5million on Romelu Lukaku, the club are reluctant to meet Sevilla’s transfer demands, thus the two parties are yet to agree on a fee.
However, according to reports from Duncan Castles, it’s clear that Chelsea is Kounde’s preferred destination, and the Blues are ahead of Spurs in the bid to sign him.
Speaking on Reach PLC’s Transfer Window Podcast, via the Express, Castles said: "They've tried to get Jules Kounde, who Chelsea are ahead of them for.
"Jules Kounde hasn't been impressed that they haven't got Champions League football.
"Kounde would prefer Chelsea, should they be able to come to an agreement with Sevilla over a transfer fee in the last fortnight of the window, to Tottenham.
"Tottenham don't appear to be able to make it happen because of the place they find themselves in the European football hierarchy."
Still, after Spurs put in such a resolute defensive performance against Manchester City on Sunday – a game that saw new signing Cristian Romero make his debut late on, whilst Japhet Tanganga starred at right-back – some would argue that they no longer need Kounde at the heart of their defence.
It’ll be interesting to see how this one develops, but with time running out in the window, the French international may have to wait to get his dream move.
