Report: Barcelona interested in Sevilla defender Jules Kounde

In a recent report, Spanish publication Sport mentioned that Barcelona are interested in Sevilla defender Jules Kounde. It is understood that the Catalans will have to compete with Chelsea in the race to get the signature of the French defender during the summer transfer window. Barcelona head coach Xavi has identified Kounde as the perfect candidate to bolster the defense. Meanwhile the 23-year-old’s release clause is valued at EUR 80 million.

Kounde has established himself as one of the best defenders in La Liga since joining Sevilla from French club Bordeaux in July 2019. He took no time to become a regular starter for the Adalusian club and then became a pivotal part of Julen Lopetegui’s plans. 

Kounde has been performing at a high level for Sevilla in recent years, this year hasn’t been different, having played 23 matches, scoring one goal and registering one assist across all competitions. 

He has made a total of 114 appearances for Sevilla so far, netting seven times and providing three assists in the process. At the same time, he has established himself in the French national team set up while popping up on the radar of several top European clubs, including Chelsea and Barcelona.

The Paris-born defender has been a strong presence at the back for Sevilla, with an average of 0.9 tackles, 0.7 interceptions and 2.7 clearances per 90 minutes in La Liga. He has been very impressive with his ball distributions in the final third, having completed 89% of his attempted passes in the Spanish first division, according to whoscored.

Kounde is a strong tackler of the ball and can read the game pretty well. He is usually a no-nonsense defender and doesn’t make too many mistakes. The defender is also very proficient at playing his way out from the back and can even contribute to the final third. He is a versatile defender who can play both as a central defender and as a full-back.