FC Barcelona Get Green light To Register Kounde For Valladolid La Liga Clash

FC Barcelona have received the green light from La Liga to register Jules Kounde and won’t have to sell any players in order to do so.

Kounde joined the Blaugrana from Sevilla in a €55mn ($55mn) deal last month despite his old club already accepting an offer from Chelsea.

The French international held out for Barca to activate their economic levers, which have allowed the cash-strapped Catalans to sign players such as Kounde, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski this summer.

While the other two stars in that trio have already ran out for Xavi Hernandez in every La Liga game thus far, Kounde has been reduced to appearances in the Joan Gamper trophy and a friendly against Manchester City midweek.

It was previously thought that teammates such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Memphis Depay or Martin Braithwaite would have to be sold to get Kounde registered for this weekend’s clash against Real Valladolid.

And, more worryingly, Barca were also facing a race against time to stave off a clause in the 23-year-old’s contract that determined he would be able to walk for free if not registered by August 31 while Barca would also have to pay Sevilla a further €2.5mn ($2.5mn).

According to transfer market expert Gerard Romero, however, who was one of the leading voices on Barca’s activity in the summer window this year, none of this will be necessary.

In short, La Liga will allow Kounde to be registered so that he can face Real Valladolid on Sunday at Camp Nou. Furthermore, no players will need to be sold to make this much-desired and needed development happen either.

The news, if accurate, will be welcomed by Kounde and Xavi, who were both separately reported as being annoyed that the World Cup 2022 hopeful could not star for his new team.

Despite Kounde being able to be registered, however, it is still likely that Barca will seek exits for Depay, Aubameyang, and Braithwaite.

Since the arrival of Raphinha and Lewandowski, plus a return to fitness for Ansu Fati, they have become surplus to requirements with Depay and Aubameyang allegedly on the verge of transfers to Juventus and Chelsea respectively.