Chelsea are still in discussions with Sevilla over an acceptable fee for Jules Kounde.
According to 90min, the Blues are looking to negotiate a deal that would see them avoid having to pay the centre-back’s £68million release clause.
Thomas Tuchel has identified Kounde as the future of the Chelsea defence, but financial fair play regulations are hampering their ability to complete a deal.
Although they are keen to find a compromise nearer to £40million, Sevilla are refusing to budge on their valuation.
Chelsea already have Thiago Silva, Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger and Kurt Zouma as their established centre-back options.
Zouma has been linked with a move to West Ham United and has also been considered as a potential makeweight in the club’s bid for Kounde.
The 26-year-old is reluctant to leave Stamford Bridge and ideally not for a club outside of the Champions League.
He made five appearances in the competition last season as Chelsea emerged victorious, but he was consigned to the bench from the quarter-finals onwards.
Kounde has emerged as one of the best centre-back prospects in world football over the last couple of years.
He came through the ranks at Bordeaux, making his debut for the first team in January 2018 and going on to play 70 games in all competitions before moving to Sevilla.
In his first season with the Spanish club, he helped them win the UEFA Cup, beating Inter Milan 3-2 in the final.
Kounde’s stature in the game has continued to grow since then, winning his first cap for the French national team in a friendly against Wales.
He made it into Didier Deschamps’ 26-man squad for the Euros, starting at right-back in the 2-2 group stage draw with Portugal.
