Talks between Chelsea and Sevilla for Jules Koundé are ongoing, but contrary to the breathless rumors of the last 24-48 hours, the process may not go as quickly as our short attention spans would demand it. Negotiations are all about finding a amicable middle ground, which can take a while as neither side want to be taken advantage of.
The latest word from the frontlines is that Sevilla are wanting a deal closer to Koundé’s €80m release clause, rather than being willing to settle for €65-70m as previously reported. And while they are open to having Kurt Zouma included in part-exchange, they evidently don’t value him at more than €30-35m, with Goal reporting that they’d still want a €45m cash component.
Part of the reason for the high(er) fee is also the understanding that 20 per cent of the profit booked by Sevilla belongs to Koundé’s previous club, Girondins Bordeaux, as agreed in their €25m deal two years ago. (And presumably that calculation would be from the value of the deal overall, rather than just the strict cash component.)
This is where Director Granovskaia truly earns her keep, so, let’s see what one of the toughest negotiators in the business can arrange this time.
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