Chelsea’s start to the 2026-27 season under new manager Xabi Alonso has been far from what they expected. So far in the Premier League, the Blues have recorded 3 wins in 6 games and are currently sixth in the Premier League. The Blues have struggled massively on defence and are also tied for the most goals conceded in the season, conceding 13 so far.
Despite a recent goalkeeper signing in Emi Martinez, Chelsea’s posts have been far from secure. In this difficult situation, the west London club desperately need a marquee signing to tighten the backline alongside defenders like Reece James, Levi Colwill, and Wesley Fofana. According to reports from TeamTalk, Chelsea is doing exactly that and is eyeing FC Barcelona defender Jules Kounde, a player that the Blues were interested in signing even back in 2022 as well.
Kounde, who is currently valued between £46.4 M and £50.7M, has been a Rolls-Royce right-back for the Catalan club ever since he joined them back in 2022. However, in the last year or so, his minutes have dropped heavily with Joao Cancelo in the mix. Chelsea can exploit this situation and land him at Stamford Bridge, where he can play in the centre-back position as well.
For Chelsea, Kounde will be worth much more than gold in their current situation. Xabi Alonso can use Kounde in a similar way that Hansi Flick used him in the last two seasons, where the French defender can overlap with the wingers in offensive transition mostly. This will allow Kounde to fit perfectly with Chelsea’s possession-heavy and fluid style of play under Alonso.
Meanwhile, the Frenchman is a solid defender who can track back and can even stand his ground in 1v1 situations. Kounde’s defensive capabilities will be the most important element that Chelsea will be focusing on currently, especially with the success that the other Premier League teams have had against their backline this season and the 3-4-3 style of football they play under Alonso.
Another interesting aspect about this possible Jules Kounde deal to Chelsea is the lack of competition in the market. Reportedly, Bayern Munich were also in pursuit of the defender in the winter transfer window. However, as per recent sources from TeamTalk, the German club is no longer a firm favourite to sign Kounde.
This removes a major roadblock from Chelsea’s path, allowing the club to get some new reinforcements for their defense. Despite the lack of competition, Barca will look to set the asking price at more than £42M, as per All Football. This suggests that the Blues will have to spend the money in order to restore their defense in the upcoming winter transfer window. While talks haven’t started till now between the two parties, all eyes are now on January.
