Chelsea face Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon as Thomas Tuchel kicks off his first full Premier League campaign in charge at Stamford Bridge.
So far in the summer transfer window - which is now into its final few weeks - the Blues have signed Marcus Bettinelli on a free, but are closing in on the £98million signing of Romelu Lukaku.
Lukaku is set to become Chelsea's most expensive ever signing, with the west London club set to break their transfer record for the second summer on the trot.
However, even if Lukaku does complete his return to Stamford Bridge, as expected, Tuchel is still determined to bring another defender to the club before the window slams shut later this month.
Jules Kounde of Sevilla has been identified as Chelsea's priority target to try and bolster their defensive options, despite Tuchel having a wealth of centre-backs to choose from.
Kounde is reportedly valued at around €70m (£59.7m) by the Seville-based club, but the Blues are doing their best to force that figure down.
The France international, who has just under three years remaining on his current contract at the Ramos Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium, has hinted at his desire to leave the club this summer.
Speaking in May, Kounde said: "Regarding my future, it’s certain that I will perhaps have to change clubs this summer.
"But nothing has been finalised yet. I have not decided anything.
"My goal is to play for a big club, to try to always progress and to win trophies.
"It’s true that I might have to move but that’s not relevant today."
Those comments were made before the 22-year-old became a serious target for Chelsea, who have intensified their interest in the Sevilla star over the last month.
Now, Sevilla's sporting director Monchi has issued an update on the defender's future and has insisted there is yet to be an official offer on the table despite the interest from the Blues.
Monchi told the club’s official TV station: "To this day there is no real offer on the table, nor has there been. Obviously, there's been a lot of noise, a lot of clubs have asked about him."
With both Fikayo Tomori and Marc Guehi leaving west London on permanent deals earlier in the summer, the need for a centre-back has become more apparent.
Even though a deal for Kounde looks unlikely before the Premier League opener against Palace at the weekend, Tuchel will be determined to add him to his ranks before the month's conclusion.
