Chelsea handed huge transfer blow as top transfer target injured ahead of transfer move

Chelsea have been dealt yet another blow to their hopes of signing Jules Kounde with France boss Didier Deschamps revealing that the defender demands surgical treatment on a prolonged-phrase injuries problem.

The 23-12 months-previous started off Les Bleus’ UEFA Nations League defeat at household to Croatia on Monday night, lining up out of situation at proper-again.

But he was subbed off at half-time of the match, acquiring also been an unused substitute in France’s previous two outings this month, and Deschamps exposed afterwards that it was not a tactical decision.

Kounde has truly been struggling with an damage trouble for several months but elected to postpone operation until eventually right after France’s most current round of matches, but will now go beneath the knife.

‘I understood really properly his physical affliction today,’ explained Deschamps when requested about Kounde and the conclusion to sub him off.

‘Tomorrow [Tuesday] he will have a [surgical] intervention mainly because he has a issue that has been likely on for numerous months.’

Deschamps did not elaborate on the extent of Kounde’s damage or how very long the Sevilla defender will be sidelined for.

Even so, even if it is only minimal surgery, the revelation adds another hurdle for Chelsea who are desperate to indicator the Frenchman to bolster their back-line.

The Blues are getting rid of Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger on no cost transfers when their contracts expire at the finish of the thirty day period and Thomas Tuchel has been concentrating on Kounde for the right-sided centre-again role.

But, just as was the case final summer season, Sevilla are participating in hardball around a payment for the defender and will not take just about anything considerably less than €65million (£55.6m).

That is considerably significantly less than the €80m (£68.5m) they demanded previous summer, even though Chelsea’s hierarchy could now want to hold out for the results of Kounde’s surgical procedure prior to selecting regardless of whether to dedicate this sort of a massive quantity of funds to the offer.

In addition to signing the Sevilla star, Chelsea are also seeking at shopping for a remaining-sided centre-back with RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol their best goal for the function.