Chelsea's pursuit of Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde is still a possibility, with the French international keen for the move, according to reports.
The 22-year-old was the talk of the town amongst Chelsea fans over the summer months, following a lot of speculation that he would move to west London.
The Blues currently boast one of the strongest backlines in the world, but with an ageing defence, manager Thomas Tuchel is keen to involve some youth.
As reported by football.london, La Liga's sporting director, Monchi, discussed where Kounde stood on a move to Chelsea.
"There was a club that he (Kounde) liked, which was Chelsea," he said.
"The first and only formal offer did not satisfy our desires and was conditional on Chelsea selling a player.
“It was an important offer, considering the current world where there are so many hardships, but it did not meet our demands, conditions, or quantities.”
Kounde is valued by Sevilla at around £60 million, and is understood to have interested Tuchel's side for over two years.
The possibility to sign him, therefore, has not gone away, and Tuchel may look to make another move for the youngster in January or next summer.
With the likes of Thiago Silva, Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen already in Chelsea's backline, as well as captain Cesar Azpilicueta who is up for this year's Ballon d'Or award.
However, with Rudiger facing interest from abroad, notably Bayern Munich, and Thiago Silva coming towards the end of his contract, Chelsea are keen to invest in some youth to feel confident in the future of their defence.
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