After just one year at Camp Nou, Jules Kounde has asked to leave Barcelona according to a report by Diario SPORT.
Barcelona hijacked Chelsea’s deal last summer to sign him from Sevilla but Kounde is reportedly not happy with life at Barcelona. He’s primarily a centre-back but this season, he’s mostly played at right-back and this is one of the foremost reasons why he wants an exit.
Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen have made the centre-back position their own and until Xavi is at the helm, Jules Kounde is not coming back into the middle any time soon.
Kounde’s agent has denied the reports of his possible exit but most transfer experts believe the 24-year-old is open for a new challenge.
Barcelona are said to be open to selling the defender as well and if this is true then several clubs will want to sign him.
Which clubs can try and sign Jules Kounde if he leaves in the summer?
Chelsea were on the brink of signing Jules Kounde before Barcelona staged a coup and if he is back in the market, the Blues will definitely reignite their interest.
They have players like Badiashile and Koulibaly but they still rely on the 38-year-old Thiago Silva so Kounde can be the ideal replacement for the Brazilian international.
Arsenal and Manchester United have also been linked with the 24-year-old and they too can go after him in the summer. However, both these teams have set central defensive pairings so Jules Kounde will face the same issue at these two clubs which is forcing him to leave Barcelona.
Chelsea are the only club that will welcome him with open arms but at Stamford Bridge, he won’t get to play in Europe next season. If he can work around that then Kounde can be the perfect fit.
Barcelona need to generate revenue quickly so if the right offer comes in they will definitely sell Jules Kounde but his contract expires in 2027 so whichever club wants to sign him, they will have to shell out an exorbitant amount.
