Barcelona have agreed a deal to sign Sevilla defender and Chelsea target Jules Kounde, according to Fabrizio Romano. Romano reports that Barcelona have now reached an agreement with both the player and Sevilla with a formal announcement expected that will confirm the France international’s move. The transfer will reportedly cost the Catalan giants approximately £50.5 million.
Kounde has been a Chelsea target for much of the summer, however, they will now need to turn their attention to other targets.
Chelsea Target Jules Kounde on the Move to Barcelona
Jules Koundé to Barcelona, here we go! Verbal agreement now in place with Sevilla after the long saga and further negotiations today, waiting to get it signed soon. 🚨🔵🔴 #FCB
Jules Koundé agreed personal terms with Barça last weekend, contract ready. Xavi, key factor again. pic.twitter.com/eX2jeVPheF
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 27, 2022
Barcelona Bolster Their Defence With Jules Kounde
The Sevilla centre-back would join former Chelsea defender Andreas Christensen in arriving at the Camp Nou this summer. The pair will be among Gerard Pique, Ronald Araujo and Oscar Mingueza in the heart of the Barcelona defence.
Kounde was a key player for Sevilla in the 21/22 season, making 32 appearances during his third season at the La Liga club. He had already made a name for himself before this, even being described as a “mentality monster” last summer, but over the past year confirmed himself as a reliable centre-back choice for any top side. The former Bordeaux man possesses excellent athletic ability and pace at centre-back, which also means that he has the versatility to line up on the right-hand side of the defence if needed.
The 23-year-old is excellent on the ball, ranking in the 98th percentile for dribbles completed and the 90th percentile for progressive carries among his central defensive peers. He’s also an accomplished passer, ranking in the 84th percentile for progressive passes and the 89th percentile in passes attempted. Therefore, it’s easy to see why his skillset is coveted by Barcelona manager Xavi who likes his team to be comfortable in possession.
Chelsea’s Transfer Blues
Following the departure of Christensen and fellow centre-back Antonio Rudiger, who joined Real Madrid this summer, Chelsea have somewhat of a gaping hole in the heart of their defence. The club have completed the signing of Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli but they still look to be in the market for another defender.
With the exception of Koulibaly, it seems Chelsea have struggled to complete deals for their defensive targets this summer. As well as Kounde, Chelsea were also targeting Juventus’ Mathias De Ligt before the Netherlands international joined Bundesliga Champions Bayern Munich instead. The West London club will now need to look elsewhere once again as they look to bolster their defence before the start of the 2022/23 season.
Inter Milan’s Denzel Dumfries is a name that has been mentioned in recent weeks, as is RB Leipzig’s Josko Gvardiol. With Chelsea kicking off their Premier League season against Everton on August 6th they will need to act fast if they are to bring players in before the start of the campaign.
