Chelsea are showing the strongest interest in Jules Kounde ahead of the summer, with Barcelona only likely to sell at £65–70 million.
According to Caught Offside, Jules Kounde is attracting considerable interest from the Premier League, with Barcelona reportedly open to a sale for £65–70 million. Chelsea are making the strongest push for the French defender, as Liverpool and Manchester City are also keen to a certain degree.
Jules Kounde was close to joining Chelsea before joining Barcelona in 2022, when he was on the books of Sevilla. The Frenchman has since reinvented himself as a key member of this Barcelona side and continues to remain an important part of Hansi Flick’s plans.
The defender has no interest in leaving Barcelona, although given the financial uncertainties of the Spanish club, they are willing to sell him for £65–70 million as per the report. This has alerted some of the interested teams from the Premier League, especially Chelsea, as Barcelona could ponder offloading the Frenchman.
Chelsea are reportedly ahead in the race and are showing the strongest interest in landing the £65–70 million-rated Barcelona utility man. Manchester City are also interested, as Pep Guardiola is keen to land a player for the right-back role to compete with Matheus Nunes.
Liverpool are also in the race for Kounde, with the club facing problems both at right-back and centre-back. Kounde could effectively play both roles, which makes his signing a smart one for the Merseysiders, but neither they nor Manchester City are particularly pushing towards a deal as Chelsea are.
Will Chelsea Sign Jules Kounde?
Chelsea have a policy of signing players within a certain age bracket, but they are still open to adding experienced players, particularly at the defensive end. The Blues have shown a strong interest in Kounde, but much will depend on whether they are willing to fork out as much as £65–70 million for the Barcelona utility man.
The Frenchman’s salary demands are also likely to prompt deliberation within the Chelsea boardroom, with the current ownership not known for paying top wages. Overall, even if Chelsea pushes for a move, any deal will depend on Kounde’s preference to leave Barcelona for an adventure in the Premier League — in this case, London — which seems unlikely at this point, given he is very happy with life in Barcelona.
