Thomas Tuchel wants to bring Kounde to Stamford Bridge to add to his defensive options and Chelsea have been pushing hard to put a deal in place.
It has been claimed they have all but agreed a fee with Sevilla for Kounde, of £55m, though interest from Barcelona is complicating matters.
And amid the Catalans potentially hijacking the deal, Chelsea have no agreement in writing with Sevilla yet.
As such, the door is open for Barcelona to push into the mix and try to agree a fee with Sevilla for Kounde.
It has been suggested that the defender is waiting for the Camp Nou side to make their move, but Chelsea are so far the only side able to meet Sevilla’s asking price.
Barcelona are also trying to sign Cesar Azpilicueta from Chelsea.
The Spaniard wants the move to Barcelona, where he has been offered a two-year deal, but Chelsea would like another defender in through the door before they agree to let him go.
