Lopetegui: Chelsea’s offer for Kounde was not enough
The young center back was among the Blues’ main transfer targets this summer.
Sevilla’s Jules Kounde was heavily
linkedwith a move to Chelsea in the summer transfer window. The two clubs seemed to be close to reaching an agreement after Chelsea sold Kurt Zouma to West Ham. However, Sevilla boss
Julen Lopetegui
says the London side were not able to satisfy Sevilla’s financial expectations in their proposed offers.
“Kounde in the end has stayed because the club has decided that it was the right thing to do based on the evaluation of the offers they may have had,”
he told
Diario de Sevilla.
“For me, as a coach, that Jules stays is positive. With the evolution he has had in these two years, it is positive, without any doubt.”
Sevilla’s sporting director Monchi insisted last week that Kounde will only leave the club if Chelsea pays his €80m release clause.
Lopetegui added:
“We trust that he'll continue to grow with us and, above all, perform, which is the most important thing.”
The former Real Madrid boss joked about his side’s “last-minute” offer for Kylian Mbappe.
“I knew that somehow or other you were going ask me,”
Lopetegui said when asked about the Mbappe saga.
“We tried to bring him in at the last minute, but we couldn't.”
Having left Bordeaux, Kounde moved to Sevilla on a €25m deal in 2019. The France international featured in 49 matches for Lopetegui’s side last season as they finished fourth in La Liga.
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