Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel is “pressing” for the club to sign Sevilla defender Jules Kounde, according to ABC Sevilla.

The Spanish publication claims Tuchel has been monitoring the 22-year-old for “several years”, first noticing his talent when the centre-back was playing for Bordeaux in 2018.

Kounde subsequently moved to La Liga, where he has excelled, but his club have slapped a €60m (£51m) asking price on the France international.

Chelsea’s first offer of €30m plus Kurt Zouma was rejected, as Sevilla didn’t believe it matched their valuation. It is also subsequently emerged that Zouma wanted to stay in London, with the player being linked with West Ham and Tottenham.

However, ABC says the Chelsea centre-half has not completely ruled out a switch to Spain, stating his representatives are “cautious” and are waiting to see whether a deal for Kounde can be agreed before deciding on the move. It means there could be more developments on this transfer before the transfer window closes.