Tuchel’s comments suggest Ake is more likely than Kounde to sign for Chelsea

It’s always risky to try and rebuild a defence in one transfer window, but Chelsea don’t have much of a choice after the key departures of Rudiger and Christensen this summer.

It’s also not completely clear if Thomas Tuchel plans to keep going with a three-at-the-back formation or if he wants to transition to a more traditional back four, although the presence of Thiago Silva suggests a three is still more likely.

They already have Kalidou Koulibaly to bolster their ranks, and there are plenty of reports that suggest Sevilla star Jules Kounde was going to be the final piece of the puzzle.

You do want balance at the back so a left-footed player would make more sense, and these latest comments from the manager suggest that they might be looking elsewhere for the next recruit:

Tuchel also confirmed that, ideally, Chelsea will also sign a left-footed defender this summer but said Koulibaly can play that side if need be

— Matt Law (@Matt_Law_DT) July 22, 2022

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If Tuchel is after someone who’s more naturally left-sided then that would give more credence to reports claiming that Nathan Ake could be on his way back to Stamford Bridge, so it will be interesting to see how this pans out.