Barcelona could offer either Ez Abde or Nico Gonzalez to secure the services of Jules Kounde, a target for Chelsea this summer.
According to a report by Spanish publication SPORT, Barcelona’s latest ploy to secure the services of Jules Kounde involves offering either Ez Abde or Nico Gonzalez to Sevilla. The French centre-back is also a target for Chelsea over a possible move in the summer transfer window.
Jules Kounde arrived at Sevilla from Bordeaux in July 2019 and has come leaps and bounds in the last three years. The 23-year-old is now widely regarded as one of the best defenders in La Liga and has also become a regular for the French national team.
Kounde has turned out 133 times for Sevilla thus far, but he might have played his last game for the Andalusian outfit amid interest from several European heavyweights. Barcelona and Chelsea are hot on the heels of the French defender this summer as they look to bolster their respective defensive units.
The Catalan giants have continued to remodel their squad under Xavi Hernandez in the summer transfer window and have mainly focused on bolstering their attacking unit thus far. While Andreas Christensen has reinforced the defensive department by arriving from Chelsea in a Bosman move, Barcelona must sign another centre-back this summer.
With Gerard Pique in the twilight of his illustrious career and Samuel Umtiti and Oscar Mingueza not featuring in Xavi’s plans, Kounde has emerged as a viable target for Barcelona. But Barcelona will face stiff competition from Chelsea in the race to secure the services of the French international.
Kounde has been on Chelsea’s radar for well over a year. But the Blues have not pursued the 23-year-old seriously this year, handing Barcelona the impetus to land him. However, with Matthijs de Ligt on the cusp of joining Bayern Munich and Nathan Ake remaining at Manchester City, Kounde has become a serious target for Chelsea again.
That said, Barcelona’s hopes of signing Kounde will be higher, as they hatch their latest ploy to sign him from Sevilla in the summer transfer window. The Catalan giants have already considered offering Memphis Depay in a part-exchange deal to land Kounde, while the option of using a clause in Jean-Clair Todibo’s contract with OGC Nice also remains on the agenda.
But Barcelona might now offer either Ez Abde or Nico Gonzalez to Sevilla to sweeten the deal and reduce Sevilla’s asking price. Abde, in particular, might appeal to the Andalusian club, although they can still deal with Chelsea if the Blues offer a higher upfront payment. An intriguing few weeks beckon in the Jules Kounde transfer saga.
