Xavi’s sent encouraging message to Jules Kounde regarding Ronald Araujo – report

Ronald Araujo, despite only being at the club for less than five years, has already found a place within the hearts of Barcelona fans. His ability to stand his ground against any attackers in the world, all while regularly scoring clutch goals has made him undroppable.

There are, however, a few doubts regarding his ball-playing abilities. The Uruguayan is definitely a solid progressor, but tends to perform better when playing alongside someone very comfortable on the ball, like Eric Garcia or Gerard Pique.

As such, it is not difficult to see why he would fit like a glove alongside Jules Kounde. The Sevilla defender has completed a move to Barça, and will probably form the first-choice CB pairing with Araujo.

Fabrizio Romano says that Xavi was key in this signing, telling Kounde that he would form one of the best centre-back partnerships in the world alongside Araujo.

Further, Kounde and Araujo are both extremely athletic on the ball and can easily slot in as right-backs if push comes to shove. Their largely contrasting, and on some level, similar skill sets make them a very threatening duo.

The Frenchman was set to sign his contract with Chelsea with the Spanish manager decided to intervene, pushing Barcelona to pursue his signing as an absolute priority.

The club fought off interest from the Blues and have reportedly signed him for an amount in the region of €50 million, plus add-ons.

The official signing is set to take place either today or tomorrow, with the presentation in front of the Camp Nou in the first week of August – immediately after the pre-season tour in the USA.