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LaLiga giants Barcelona have won the race to sign 23-year-old Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde beating competition from premiership outfit Chelsea.
Kounde will complete his move to Camp Nou after passing his medical.
The Frenchman joins Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha and Franck Kessie in what has been a remarkable summer of transfer activity for the Catalan giants.
Kounde looks set to make Barcelona starting eleven alongside Danish defender Andreas Christensen, who joined the Blaugrana when his contract at Stamford Bridge expired at the end of last season.
Agreement in principle with Sevilla for the transfer of @jkeey4
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 28, 2022
Delighted with his switch to Barcelona, Kounde said: “I am very proud and very thankful for this opportunity. I am very excited because I am arriving at a great club.
“I am looking forward to start playing with the team, getting to know my teammates and giving it my best effort.
“Sevilla are a great club but I think Barcelona are the next step in my career. I want to compete in every competition and try and win as many as possible in terms of trophies.
“Xavi is a big reason as to why I’m here. His spiel convinced me, I’m excited to start working with the team.”
Kounde won plenty of admirers with his performances after moving to Andalucia from Bordeaux in 2019.
Kounde also brings plenty of top-flight experience to Barcelona having established himself as a first-team regular as a teenager, making 133 appearances for the Rojiblancos and winning the Europa League in 2020.
Kounde’s new employers are eager to improve on last season’s efforts, which saw them finish 13 points behind LaLiga champions Real Madrid and fail to advance from the Champions League group stage.