Jules Kounde Chooses To Sign For FC Barcelona From Sevilla

Sevilla star defender Jules Kounde wants to sign for FC Barcelona, where he is Xavi Hernandez’s first choice to reinforce the back line.

Fresh off the back of a trophyless season, the Blaugrana are looking to make improvements to their first team squad in order to compete at home, where they haven’t won the La Liga title since 2019, and on the continent.

With Gerard Pique told by Xavi he is no longer a starter according to reports, strengthening the back line is of particular importance with Chelsea’s Andreas Christensen already incoming.

Though Xavi has also shown an interest in Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly, he has let it be known to Barca’s technical department and president Joan Laporta that they should move Heaven and Earth to land France international Kounde, who is considered one of Europe’s top defensive prospects.

Furthermore, Kounde is some seven years younger than Koulibaly at 23, and could be considered a long-term partner to Ronald Araujo who recently renewed terms at Camp Nou until 2026 with a €1bn ($1.05bn) release clause.

Making any potential operation easy to pull off is the fact that Kounde wants to sign with FC Barcelona above all the other numerous parties wishing to acquire his services according to Mundo Deportivo.

The two main competitors in the race are Premier League giants Chelsea and Newcastle, who are both willing to pay his €90mn ($94mn) release clause far lower than that of Araujo. But the daily newspaper says that Kounde is dragging his feet because he wants to play in Catalonia and has told Sevilla as much.

Kounde’s price tag is of course a sticking point for Barca who cannot afford to match the English clubs with debts of around $1.5 bn. But it is believed they know that Sevilla would be willing to sell the Frenchman to them for a smaller €65-70mn ($68-73mn).

To even the books in relation to Financial Fair Play, Sevilla also need to make a sale before June 30 which may force them to accept the reduced fee.

“In any management body of a company we are obliged to balance the accounts. That is one thing, and another is that we need to sell in any way before June 30,” explained Sevilla president Jose Castro this week.

“If Kounde has to be sold, he will be sold. If the possibility is not given, he will not be sold. Sevilla has shown that it only sells for offers outside the market. In August of last summer we said no to more than €50mn ($52mn),” Castro explained.

To get a deal over the line, it has also been said that Barca may offer Francisco Trincao in a part exchange deal, and that they can pay Kounde’s salary if they sell Clement Lenglet, Samuel Umtiti and Oscar Mingueza while reducing Gerard Pique’s take home pay.