Jules Kounde’s start to his Barcelona career was quite promising. Firstly, under Xavi and then Hansi Flick, Kounde became a vital part of the team’s backline. Notably, he was also part of the infamous BACK of Barca, a backline of Alejandro Balde, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, and him that showcased great defensive resiliency during the 2022-23 season. While he joined the squad as a center-back, Kounde gradually delved into a right-back role as per the team’s requirements.
Even in this off-position role, Kounde didn’t flinch. He used his versatility perfectly to move forward at times from that wing and overlap with Lamine Yamal to form a deadly duo. However, those golden years of Kounde at Barca seem to be fading away gradually.
Diario Sport reporter Carlos Monfort reports that Kounde’s agent Jonathan Kebe recently met with Barcelona sporting director Deco. Kounde’s representatives have said that the meeting was routine and for follow-up. On the other hand, sources from Barcelona are also open to hearing considerable offers, as per the report shared by Monfort.
Sources say several top clubs like Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich are interested in the French defender. Moreover, Goal.com also reports that Kounde, who is currently valued between 46M and 50M Pounds, is one of the hottest names around the transfer market.
It needs to be understood that the Catalan club isn’t looking to force Kounde out as well, as per Barca Universal, and is just open to hearing offers. An intelligent ground dueller, Kounde showcased stellar expertise in interceptions when he was at his best form in the club. However, in the last few months, Kounde has massively struggled with form and confidence.
With Joao Cancelo’s permanent move to the club and Xavi Espart’s addition from La Masia, Kounde’s minutes have dropped significantly this season. Kounde has played 458 minutes for the club, much less than Cancelo and Espart, which can raise questions given his high salary of 254,281 Pounds every week, as per Capology.com.
Espart and Cancelo, who have the expertise to play on both flanks, have been prioritized by Flick. Espart has returned the favour with this confidence as well, with a big match performance in the Champions League game against PSG. Meanwhile, Cancelo has been performing substantially well with 2 goals and assists on the offensive end.
With pressure for his position from these players, Jules Kounde has also dealt with a left ankle sprain, which forced him to miss the PSG match and also makes him immensely doubtful against Real Madrid. These injuries and persistent performance-related issues have worsened his situation at Barca, as per Goal.com.
Meanwhile, Dani Olmo has faced similar caveats in his recent months at Barca. Flick has largely deployed Fermin Lopez over Olmo in the attacking midfield position this season. Olmo has played 516 minutes for the club with 1 goal and 4 assists, while Lopez has 702 minutes under his belt with 5 goals and 4 assists. On top of that, Olmo also sustained an abductor tear in his left leg during the game against PSG, sidelining him for a month.
These caveats have raised concerns over his position at the club as well, with clubs like Bayern Munich rumoured to be interested in the player. But Sky Reporter Florian Plettenberg reports that Olmo is reportedly quite happy and is not looking to leave Barca in the winter transfer window in January.
Sporting director Deco and the Barca front office rest their confidence in Olmo as well, which can secure Olmo at the club. Besides that, Deco hasn’t hesitated to take bold moves to sell or loan out players in the last few months, like the ones he did with Ferran Torres and Ronald Araujo. That’s why the episode with Jules Kounde can be an interesting one in the winter transfer window, with the ongoing rumours.
