Chelsea are marginally off Sevilla's asking price for Jules Kounde.

Negotiations have been ongoing between the two clubs after Kounde expressed his desire to leave Andalusia.

The France defender has been linked with Chelsea for over 18 months.

Spanish publication Marca reports that the Blues can secure their man with a bid of €65m (£55.6m).

The west London club's latest offer was €55m, which means they should likely secure Kounde's signature in the coming weeks.

Thomas Tuchel is desperate to reinforce his defence after losing Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger to free agency.

Sevilla CEO Jose Maria Cruz recently admitted that Kounde is keen to move on.

"He is happy with us. In the case of Kounde, it is not a matter of money. It's a matter of him wanting to play in a more competitive team than Sevilla," Cruz told Sporting Witness.

"I am sure he is a player that is attractive for teams like Chelsea, FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich and these types of teams. He wants to play in a more competitive team."