What does the failed pursuit of Jules Kounde mean for Chelsea?
One of the biggest perks of being the Champions of Europe is the fact that it’s not hard to convince top talents to buy into the club’s vision. Chelsea found this out during the summer when it added two class players in Romelu Lukaku and Saul Niguez. The Blues weren’t bending over backwards to bring in a plethora of players to overhaul the side. Instead, Marina Granovskaia and her team worked to solidify the current core and clear out those who weren’t part of the long-term plans.
This wasn’t an ordinary window for Chelsea. The Blues were only linked with a few players, the names of which could be counted on two hands—if not one. They filled the positions of need in striker with Lukaku and midfield depth with Saul, so it can be seen as a successful window overall. Chelsea did fail to bring in one of its main targets though. The Blues flirted with Sevilla centerback Jules Kounde all summer only to not pay his release clause come August 31. This left the fanbase divided, but what does the failure to add Kounde to the squad mean for Thomas Tuchel’s team going forward?
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Chelsea failed to bring in Sevilla centerback Jules Kounde as the Blues chose to put faith in themselves during the end of the window
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the failed pursuit of Kounde is something the footballing world already knew: Granovskaia bows to no one. The Chelsea director has built a reputation over the years for being one of the most difficult people to negotiate with in the business. While frustrating at times for supporters, Granovskaia’s method has proven to be effective. The Blues seldom find themselves on the losing end of a deal and the Russian is the reason for this. Chelsea, for as much success as it has on the pitch, is seen as a business first. A damn good one at that.
Granovskaia refused to do business with Sevilla Director of Football Monchi after his immature antics saw the Spaniards try to swindle the Blues. According to Gianluca Di Marzio, the two clubs had verbally agreed on a fee of €50 million for the centerback ahead of the deadline set by Sevilla. However, once Chelsea returned with an official bid following the sale of Kurt Zouma, the Spaniards balked on the previous price and raised their demands. The Blues then swiftly pulled out of negotiations.
Chelsea ended its pursuit of Kounde, even after a summer love affair, before the August 31 deadline because Granovskaia is a woman of her word. She was not about to let Monchi and Sevilla make a mockery of her well-known business accumen. The Blues’ willingness to pull out of the negotiations means Granovskaia keeps her leverage as being one of the world’s best negotiators. Chelsea is not going to become a club others can walk all over—like modern day Barcelona—and its director made sure of it.
The Blues also weren’t going to bend over backwards to bring in another centerback. The absence of Kounde leaves them a bit more thin in defense than they would’ve previously hoped, but they’ll manage. Tuchel will now head into the remainder of the campaign with a five-man central defense consisting of Cesar Azpilicueta, Trevoh Chalobah, Andreas Christensen, Antonio Rudiger and Thiago Silva. Marcos Alonso and Reece James can also fill in when called upon, if necessary.
Walking away from Kounde is no small matter—the Blues made a statement. While the club showed the world it cannot walk all over Chelsea, Tuchel’s willingness to play a part in this decision displays his faith in Chalobah. The 22-year-old academy graduate was stellar during the preseason. This form carried over into the UEFA Super Cup and the Premier League opener versus Crystal Palace, where Chalobah went the distance. The club did a complete 180 on its plan for the young Englishman as it related to his short-term future, electing to keep him around instead. Chalobah now heads into the 2021/22 campaign with a part to play in Tuchel’s Kounde-less side.
Next. Anthony Taylor causes problems for Chelsea yet again. dark
Do you think Chelsea made a mistake in not pursuing Kounde more heavily? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!