Chelsea aware of former target’s potential availability

Chelsea’s poor run of form continued on Saturday as they were beaten 2-1 by Aston Villa. 

The Blues had gone ahead early on at Villa Park when Enzo Fernandez tapped in Pedro Neto’s cross, but the Blues once again surrendered a lead.

Two goals from Marco Asensio – both assisted by Marcus Rashford – earned the Villans an important victory in the race to qualify for European competition, condemning Chelsea to a fourth defeat in their last five games.

Chelsea were relatively quiet during the recent January transfer window, with just one senior arrival at Stamford Bridge, but it appears unlikely that the Blues won’t be more active when the window reopens this summer.

With that in mind, it appears that the West London outfit could potentially reignite their interest in a La Liga defender.

As per TBR Football, Chelsea have been informed that Barcelona defender Jules Kounde could be available this summer.

The France international was heavily linked with a move to Stamford Bridge before joining Barcelona in 2022.

He has been a regular for the Catalan giants ever since, but the report claims that he has fallen out with manager Hansi Flick after turning up late for a team meeting.

Kounde remains a target for Chelsea

That saw the right-back dropped to the bench for Barcelona’s game against Rayo Vallecano last week, and the report suggests that the player’s recent disciplinary issue has alerted Chelsea to his situation.

It is claimed that the 26-year-old – who was heavily linked with Chelsea whilst playing for former side Sevilla – remains of interest to the Blues.

He is contracted to Barcelona until the end of the 2026/27 campaign, and the Spanish club remain adamant that his recent troubles won’t have an impact on his long-term future at the club.

Kounde has played 126 times for the La Liga giants since joining the club in 2022, including 38 matches so far this term across all competitions.