Chelsea are seemingly set to miss out on the signing of Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde, who is edging closer to joining Barcelona.
The 23-year-old has been one of Thomas Tuchel's primary targets throughout the summer as he looks to fill the gaps left by the departures of Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen.
However, Kounde's preferred destination is believed to be Barcelona, who appear to have accidentally confirmed his arrival at Camp Nou amid a leak on their official club store website.
Kalidou Koulibaly has already joined the Blues from Napoli, but Tuchel will be keen to bolster his squad with another central defender ahead of the new campaign.
Here, Sports Mole takes a look at three centre-backs who Chelsea could target as an alternative to Kounde.
Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint-Germain)
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Chelsea had been linked with hijacking Paris Saint-Germain's move for RB Leipzig defender Nordi Mukiele, but the Frenchman's arrival at the Parc des Princes could now see the Blues turn their attention to compatriot Presnel Kimpembe.
The 26-year-old has been a key defender for the French giants for several years and featured regularly under Tuchel while he was in charge of the Parisian outfit between 2018 and 2020.
Kimpembe has made 220 appearances for PSG across all competitions since his debut in 2014 and was named in the 2021-22 Ligue 1 Team of the Year after helping the club clinch their eighth title in 10 years.
It is thought that the left-footed centre-back could be available for around £42m this summer, a figure lower than the £55m asking price that Chelsea were prepared to pay for Kounde.
While Kimpembe is yet to get his hands on the Champions League, he has already won 20 trophies with PSG and may feel that now is the right time to seek pastures new and test himself at another top European club.
Newly-appointed PSG manager Christophe Galtier refused to rule out the prospect of Kimpembe leaving the club this summer when speaking to the French media earlier this month.
Josko Gvardiol (RB Leipzig)
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RB Leipzig's 20-year-old defender Josko Gvardiol has been linked with a move to an elite European club this summer, and Chelsea are believed to be one team who are closely monitoring his progress.
After a year on loan with Dinamo Zagreb, the Croatia international became a standout performer for Leipzig in his first season with the club in 2021-22, making 45 appearances across all competitions.
Gvardiol, who helped the German outfit win the DFB-Pokal and reach the Europa League semi-finals last season, has experience operating in a back four and a back three and he can play at either centre-back or left-back.
Even though the defender still has four years remaining on his contract, Chelsea may decide to test Leipzig's resolve at some stage this summer, with the youngster expected to cost well in excess of the £17m that the Bundesliga side spent to sign him in 2020.
The Blues could, however, face competition for Gvardiol as his rise on the European stage has also caught the eye of Premier League trio Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.
Milan Skriniar (Inter Milan)
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Another centre-back believed to be on Chelsea's radar is Inter Milan's Milan Skriniar, who has entered the final 12 months of his contract.
The 27-year-old has spent the last five years with the Nerazzurri and has been a key figure in the club's return to the top of Italian football.
Skriniar was a Europa League runner-up with Inter in 2019-20, before winning the Serie A title – the club's first for 11 years – the following campaign and the Coppa Italia last season.
While the Slovakia international is regarded as an important player for Simeone Inzaghi, Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta has suggested that they could be forced to sell the 6ft 2in defender to balance their books this summer.
Chelsea have already conducted business with Inter this summer, after allowing Romelu Lukaku to re-join the Italian giants on loan this season, and the Blues may decide to hold further negotiations over a move for Skriniar, who has also been linked with PSG.
Oliver Thomas
