Paris Saint-Germain are expected to lower their valuation of defender Presnel Kimpembe this summer amid interest from Chelsea, according to reports.
The 26-year-old has previously been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge and a reunion with his former boss Thomas Tuchel.
It was reported that the German had already made contact with his former player, with the pair sharing a strong relationship during their time together in Ligue 1.
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Tuchel revealed that his side were in desperate need of new defenders in order to allow him to play his preferred system at Stamford Bridge.
Speaking after Chelsea’s 4-0 loss to Arsenal in pre-season, the head coach admitted that he is desperate for new players and in particular, defenders.
"We had an urgent appeal for quality players and a huge amount of quality players. We got two quality players no doubt but we’re not competitive like this and you could see that today,” he said.
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"If you want to play three at the back you need to have three in the back. If you don’t, it’s not worth playing three in the back.
"Given that Kalidou (Koulibaly) was ready for only 25 mins today and who was available we tried to play 4-4-2.
"I think it was not a structure problem. It was behaviour in the structure. That’s much more important."
Chelsea were heavily linked with a move for Sevilla defender Jules Kounde, but with the Blues not sending a written offer to support the verbal agreement with the club, it appears that the 23-year-old will sign for Barcelona this summer.
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Therefore, Chelsea are looking at alternative targets. The likes of Kimpembe, Josko Gvardiol and Milan Skriniar have all been linked in recent days as Tuchel looks to add to his defence.
It was believed that PSG valued Kimpembe at around £60 million this summer as the 26-year-old has struck up a strong relationship with new boss Christophe Galtier.
However, it has now been revealed by Ben Jacobs that the French side may be willing to accept less for the defender.
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He claims that if Chelsea succeed in convincing Kimpembe to ask for a move this summer, PSG will ‘soften a little’.
The report states that they will lower their price, perhaps even below £55 million this summer.
Chelsea are said to still be in talks with the club and a deal is not impossible, but Galtier is happy with what he has seen from the 26-year-old in pre-season, so will not force him out.
It remains to be seen as to whether Chelsea can make any progress in a deal for the Frenchman as Tuchel looks to add further to his squad.
Topics: Chelsea, Chelsea Transfer News & Rumours, Presnel Kimpembe, Paris Saint-Germain, Football, Transfers, Thomas Tuchel
Nick Emms