Chelsea forgets about Koundé and looks for their Plan B in Italy

The Barcelona player will not move from Camp Nou for the time being. And Chelsea has not wasted time in setting a new goal.

Diego Medina | 21 Sep 2024 | 23.30
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Jules Koundé, player of Barcelona who was sought after by Chelsea.
Jules Koundé, player of Barcelona who was sought after by Chelsea.

The supposed interest of Chelsea in Jules Koundé has been short-lived. Just 3 days after English media claimed that the Stamford Bridge club was willing to make an offer of around 60 million euros for the Barcelona center-back, the possibility of the deal materializing has lost strength. Earlier this week, it was mentioned that Chelsea saw Koundé as a solution to reinforce their defense in the upcoming winter market, but expectations have quickly faded.

According to the TBR Football portal, Chelsea's leaders have acknowledged that convincing Koundé to leave Barcelona mid-season is virtually impossible. The French center-back does not appear to be interested in leaving the Blaugrana during the winter transfer window, forcing Chelsea to rethink their strategy. Now, the London team is seeking more realistic alternatives and preferably more economical options than Koundé.

The injury to Reece James, one of Chelsea's defensive pillars, has disrupted coach Enzo Maresca's plans, who considers it essential to strengthen the defense for the rest of the season. However, the winter market presents challenges as the opportunities to sign top-notch players are limited, and teams are usually reluctant to let go of their key players halfway through the season.

Chelsea Turns to Kayode from Fiorentina

In this scenario, Chelsea has shifted its focus to the Italian Serie A, where Michael Kayode, a young defender from Fiorentina, has emerged as an attractive option. Kayode has had a promising start to the season, drawing interest from various European clubs. Moreover, his estimated release price of around 25 million euros makes him a more affordable alternative for Chelsea compared to Koundé.

In summary, the operation to sign Jules Koundé seems to have amounted to nothing for Chelsea, which must now concentrate on other options to strengthen their defense. Barcelona, on the other hand, retains one of its defensive mainstays while the winter market begins to stir with new opportunities for teams looking to address their squad issues.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El Chelsea se olvida de Koundé y busca su Plan B en Italia