Barcelona hopeful of signing La Liga defender for €55-60 million

Barcelona have recently announced the signing of Andreas Christensen on a free transfer from Chelsea. The Danish international should add the much-needed depth to the defensive unit for Barça, ahead of the new season.

However, it appears Xavi is keen on signing yet another top-quality centre-back, amid worries over the longevity of Gerard Pique. There are also concerns over the form of Eric Garcia, thus accentuating the need for a technically astute defender.

That is where Jules Kounde comes into the fray. The Frenchman has been identified as the desired long-term replacement for Pique, with Xavi determined to acquire his services this summer.

According to Gerard Romero, Barcelona have an agreement in place with Kounde over personal terms. The Frenchman is more than willing to become a part of Xavi’s project next season and add the desired quality at the back, alongside Christensen and Ronald Araujo.

While Barça are yet to come to an agreement with Sevilla over the transfer fee, the Catalans are aware of the club’s desperation to sanction the sale of their prized defender in light of their financial woes.

As such, Barcelona are confident they can sign Kounde for a cut-price deal of around €55-60 million. It should prove to be an absolute bargain as Kounde is widely regarded as one of the most gifted young defenders in world football.

However, the Blaugrana must be wary of the competition from Chelsea. The Blues have targeted Kounde and Matthijs de Ligt as two of their main defensive targets ahead of the new season.

But with de Ligt seemingly on the verge of joining Bayern Munich, Chelsea could prioritise a move for Kounde. The Premier League giants are in a position to offer a better financial package to Sevilla, potentially making them the frontrunner in the race to sign the Frenchman.