Sevilla director reveals why Chelsea didn’t sign target despite ‘great’ offer
Sevilla director of football Monchi has revealed why Chelsea did not sign Jules Kounde this summer despite them offering a “great proposal”.
Kounde has been with Sevilla since 2019. He joined them from Bordeaux for a fee of around £21m.
The 22-year-old has been an ever-present for the Spanish outfit since then. He helped them win the Europa League at the end of the 2019/20 season.
Chelsea hero Mendy proves why Mane anger should be shared
Kounde also impressed last season as Sevilla finished fourth in La Liga. He was linked with a move to the Premier League during the summer.
Chelsea appeared to be the side most likely to sign the France international. This did not come to fruition though and he has played six times for Sevilla in the league this season.
As reported by Fabrizio Romano via Twitter, Monchi has revealed that Chelsea did not meet their asking price for Kounde and that their offer came at an “inopportune” time:
“The proposal for Kounde last summer [from Chelsea] was great, the most important we received in our history – but it wasn’t meeting our price tag. Also, we received the bid in an inopportune moment.”
“Thomas Frank had it right after Chelsea somehow beat Brentford on Saturday night, when saying his team would have won that game nine times out of 10,” Crouch said.
“The reason they didn’t? Edouard Mendy. Mendy underlines the importance of a goalkeeper to a title-winning side. He is the final, missing piece that could get them over the line this season.
“Chelsea were hanging on and it is one of those games they would have drawn or lost in previous years.
“That Mendy save from Christian Norgaard at the end was unbelievable, and there were a few more.
“His touch is spot on when dealing with horrendous back passes, he comes and takes crosses with authority.
“Look at all the teams to have lifted the league title and one common theme is trust in an exceptional goalkeeper.
“Mendy is a major influence in Chelsea now finding themselves in the mix. There are other factors, of course.
“You have to be strong everywhere but the margins are so fine that the goalkeeper is often a deciding factor.
“Mendy has slotted in seamlessly — signed at 28, with experience and mistakes behind him, he is one of those goalkeepers who goes largely unnoticed most of the time.
“That is exactly the sort of steadiness you want. And when his moment in the spotlight came this weekend, he turned dropped points into three points.”
