FC Barcelona Ready To Sell Kounde To Premier League For $79 Million

FC Barcelona are considering offoading Jules Kounde, who Newcastle United already have an offer worth $79.5 million prepared for according to El Nacional.

The France defender joined the Catalans from Sevilla in the summer of 2022 after president Joan Laporta activated one of his famous ‘financial levers’ centered around selling percentages of future television rights income and stakes in Barca Studios.

In his maiden term which Barca finished as La Liga champions for the first time in four years, Kounde was asked to play at right back by head coach Xavi Hernandez as his squad didn’t boast a natural in the position.

This led to reports that the player asked the club to listen to offers for him, which he personally refuted on social media.

Not even halfway through the 2023/2024 season, though, El Nacional reports how Barca are considering selling Kounde, who has not been able to hold down a place in the starting XI.

As Manchester City loanee Joao Cancelo arrived approaching midnight on deadline day towards the close of the most recent transfer window, Kounde is not required to fill in at right back anymore.

When all three men are fit, he often struggles to break up a central defensive partnership formed by Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen which has reportedly led Barca to conclude that the Frenchman is too expensive to be a substitute.

Though Araujo was recently out injured, the Uruguayan has returned to the fold while Kounde is now sidelined thanks to spraining the lateral collateral ligament in his right knee before halftime during an eventual 2-2 draw with Granada.

Kounde won’t be fit for El Clasico against Real Madrid on Saturday and possibly out for a month in total.

At the same time Barca are reportedly thinking about putting Kounde in the shop window, Saudi-backed Newcastle United could come to the rescue and give the Blaugrana’s coffers a much-needed boost.

According to El Nacional, the Premier
PINC
League outfit might make Barca an “unrefusable” offer worth a total $79.5 million.

First they would pay a fixed $53 million (€50 million), and then a further $26.5 million (€25 million) in variables bringing the total to $79.5 million.

With Barca interested in making Cancelo and compatriot Joao Felix’s loans permanent come June 30, this proposal, if it becomes concrete, might be too good to turn down.