Barcelona one step away from signing Chelsea target – Fabrizio Romano

Barcelona are finally close to getting their man as Jules Kounde is on the verge of signing from Sevilla, reports Fabrizio Romano.

The 23-year-old has been at the top of the wishlist for manager Xavi Hernandez, who is desperate to bring in another defender despite adding Andreas Christensen on a free transfer.

For a while, it looked like the Blaugrana were set to miss out on Kounde’s signing to Chelsea. But the player’s willingness to move to Camp Nou put an end to any possible transfer to Stamford Bridge.

Barcelona have pretty much confirmed the impending arrival of Kounde, having made his name available for print on the shirts on the club’s official store.

There had been some concerns about the financial viability of the transfer. But as reported by Romano, negotiations between Barcelona and Sevilla have progressed well and are in the final stages, with the deal nearing completion.

Kounde has already agreed personal terms over a four-year deal with the Blaugrana, meaning the transfer is all but finalised. The Frenchman has been one of the best-performing defenders in La Liga since his arrival at Sevilla three years ago.

Once his transfer is completed, Kounde could forge a formidable partnership with Ronald Araujo, who is all primed to take over as Barcelona’s defensive leader for years to come.

Kounde will be the latest in the string of impressive signings Barça have made this summer in Christensen, Franck Kessie, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski.

But the Blaugrana will now have to worry about how they can register all their new signings before the season starts next month.