Chelsea likely to return for £68m priority transfer target in January or next summer

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However, Kounde is one of the most promising young defenders on the planet. If Chelsea were able to secure his services, they’d be bagging themselves a potential future star of the game.

It’s also worth noting that Thiago Silva, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta are all in the final 12 months of their Chelsea contracts. The situation is rather precarious.

Chelsea are unlikely to allow them all to walk out the door, but acquiring Kounde would provide them with a contingency plan in case of any departures, so perhaps it would make sense to try and do this deal in January.

Clubs are often unwilling to part ways with key members of the squad midway through the season, but as is reported by the London Evening Standard, Kounde has a £68m release clause – it’s just a matter of paying it.