Jules Kounde asks to leave Barcelona as he wants to play centre-back but club will not let him leave for less than £70m

Posted Wednesday, May 24, 2023 by Goal.com

Jules Kounde has asked to leave Barcelona this summer as he wants to play at centre-back, but the club will not let him go for less than £70m.

Kounde has played primarily at right-back
Wants to play in preferred position
Chelsea linked once again

WHAT HAPPENED? Kounde has asked to leave Camp Nou, per Sport, as he wants to play at centre-back instead of right-back, where manager Xavi has primarily deployed him. In La Liga, Kounde has played on the right 18 times and as a centre-back on nine occasions. That has led to him requesting a transfer, as he would rather play in the middle of the backline.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Barcelona bought Kounde from Sevilla last summer for an initial fee of €50 million (£42m/$50m), plus up to €10m (£8.3m/$10.2m) in add-ons. He has gone on to make 38 appearances for Barca, and the club believe he remains a key player.

AND WHAT'S MORE: Chelsea courted Kounde for months before he moved to Barcelona, and saw a bid rejected in the summer of 2022. Sport claims that they could reignite their interest this summer as they look to reshape their squad for incoming manager Mauricio Pochettino.

WHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA? Barca have already won La Liga but face three more games, against Valladolid, Mallorca, and Celta Vigo. They can accrue a maximum of 94 points.