Barcelona badly require funds which is why they will have to sell some important first-team players this summer and if the latest rumours are anything to go by then the Catalans could be showing the door to Jules Kounde very soon.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta wants to add backup to this centre-back position for the 24/25 season and according to journalist Gerard Moreno[as cited by TBR], the Premier League side has contacted Barcelona because they are interested in Kounde.
Barca had paid around €50 million to land the French centre-back from Sevilla in 2022 and in these two seasons, he has featured in 88 games for the club across all competitions. His current market value is €45 million and some experts think players like Ronald Araujo are far too important to be sold this summer which is why Deco could cash in on Jules Kounde.
Do Arsenal have the chance to sign Jules Kounde?
William Saliba and Gabriel have been sensational in central defence for Arsenal but Mikel Arteta will now have to add some competition for that position or both of their performances will see a steady decline.
Jules Kounde is primarily a centre-back but this past season, he played in 27 games as a right-back for Barcelona. This has been a cause of concern for the French international however, Hansi Flick seems to have reassured the defender that he will get to play in his preferred position next season.
Initially, Barcelona did not want to sell Jules Kounde because they were unsure of who their next manager would be but in recent days, some rumours have been suggesting that the Camp Nou side will now allow him to leave if someone is ready to pay around €60 million which they can then reuse for signing new players.
Will the defender be ready to play for the Gunners?
A couple of years ago, Jules Kounde had snubbed Chelsea to join Barca and if Mikel Arteta cannot guarantee him regular player time then the 25-year-old won’t mind rejecting a move to the Premier League for the second time in two years.
At the Emirates Stadium, Kounde will have to compete with Saliba and Gabriel, both of whom have been sensational for Arsenal. Both these players were rock-solid in defence but someone who has just played 35 La Liga games for Barcelona this season, won’t be too optimistic to face such competition.
Arteta could try and offer him the right-back role next season as an alternative plan but Jules Kounde is not too fond of playing on the right-hand side of defence plus if he has to play as a full-back he will happily remain at Camp Nou and feature under Hansi Flick.
