According to Spanish rumours, Chelsea is considering a large bid to recruit FC Barcelona defenders Jules Kounde and Ronald Araujo. The Blues have been connected with both Kounde and Araujo for a long time and were close to signing the former from Sevilla in 2021 and 2022. 0:27 / 2:27 Will Chelsea be relentless?

The Frenchman eventually signed with Barcelona for roughly £45 million in July 2022. Speculation about a move to Stamford Bridge persists, as Araujo has been connected with Chelsea, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich after signing a contract extension in April 2022. According to rumours in Spain, the Red Devils have made an additional offer after Barcelona rejected their initial proposal for Kounde.

Clearly, that will be a load of crap. Even more obviously, knowing it is nonsense does not prevent us from writing about it. So here are some more… Chelsea are planning a £125 million bid for the Barcelona duo, according to sources. According to Spanish media, Chelsea is ‘preparing’ to spend 150 million euros (£124.6 million) on Kounde and Araujo in a dramatic double swoop dubbed a ‘bombshell’. Indeed, the Blues seek to’make a leap in quality’ and believe the two Barcelona defenders can help them do that.

According to Fichajes, Chelsea have ‘focused their attention’ to securing the ‘defensive pillars’ for a combined fee of around £125 million. Despite Barcelona’s financial difficulties, they ‘will not be easy to convince’ to sell because ‘both players are crucial’ in Hansi Flick’s ambitions, even although Araujo has yet to play a minute under the German due to injury. According to the source, Chelsea’s bid will not be turned down right away because the Blaugrana still have a ‘difficult financial situation’. This weekend, the Blues will meet their former head coach Enzo Maresca’s Leicester City in the Premier League. The encounter at the King Power Stadium marks the Premier League’s return from its third international break of the season.