Barcelona seem to have gotten the better of Chelsea for the second time in the current summer transfer window.
The Blaugrana snared Raphinha from Leeds United earlier this summer when Chelsea thought they had the deal all wrapped up. And history could be set to repeat again, with Jules Kounde now at the centre of the transfer tug-of-war.
Earlier this week, it seemed like Chelsea were all set to sign Kounde from Sevilla in a deal that would reach around €65 million, including add-ons.
Despite the player’s willingness to play at Camp Nou, a move to Stamford Bridge seemed imminent, with reports claiming that everything was in order for the Frenchman to join Chelsea.
However, there was another big U-turn in the situation as Barcelona, following the successful activation of the second economic lever, forced their way back into the equation and are said to have reached an agreement with Sevilla over a transfer.
Now, SPORT sheds light on the details of the transfer and the circumstances leading to Barça eking ahead of Chelsea in the race for Kounde.
As per the report, the 23-year-old’s desire to join Barcelona over Chelsea was a major factor in the sudden turnaround. On top of that, what tipped the scales in favour of Barça is the financial aspects of the deal.
Chelsea, despite having made an offer worth €65 million, wanted to pay Sevilla the money over several instalments. Such a scenario did not appeal to the Andalusian outfit, leading to apprehensions within the camp.
At that time, Barcelona are said to have struck. It is claimed that the Catalans’ offer might not have been as high as Chelsea’s but they promised the entire payment in one go, which seemingly convinced them to shake hands with the Catalans.
The report adds that the deal is not as advanced as being reported, with Barça yet to submit a written offer. But once that is done, the transfer is expected to speed up.