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Barcelona are set to initiate talks to secure to sign Sevilla defender Jules Kounde in the summer transfer window, a target for Premier League heavyweights Chelsea.
The Catalan giants are poised to open discussions to land the Sevilla defender, a target for Premier League bigwigs Chelsea.
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Jules Kounde has come leaps and bounds since joining Sevilla from Bordeaux in July 2019. The Frenchman arrived at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium as a relative unknown in Europe but has made significant progress in the last three years to establish himself as one of the best defenders in La Liga while breaking into his national side.
The 23-year-old has turned out 132 times for Sevilla while chipping in with nine goals and three assists. But Kounde’s stint with Los Nervionenses could end soon, with several high profile clubs across Europe lining up to prise him away from the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium. Barcelona and Chelsea are two of his prospective suitors.
The interest from Barcelona stems from the rampant uncertainties surrounding the futures of Samuel Umtiti, Clement Lenglet and Oscar Mingueza. The Catalan giants have deemed the trio surplus to requirements, and they could leave Barcelona in the summer transfer window.
More importantly, Barcelona will need a new leader at the back, as Gerard Pique is in the twilight of his glorious career. Kounde is thus a viable target for the Blaugrana, who will need to stave off stiff competition from Chelsea to secure the services of the French international.
Chelsea attempted to sign Kounde last summer before refusing to meet Sevilla’s asking price. The interest in the 23-year-old has grown stronger in the past year, especially with Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen set to leave a gaping hole in their defensive unit. While Rudiger will join Real Madrid in a Bosman move, Christensen will complete a free transfer to Barcelona.