Barcelona need €20m to register Kounde
Karan Tejwani
- 22 Aug 2022 12:05 BST
- 3 min read
Barcelona completed the signing of Jules Kounde from Sevilla last month, but haven’t yet been able to register the player to allow him to make his debut for the team.
The defender signed for a €50 million fee from Barcelona’s La Liga rivals, but has missed the team’s opening two La Liga games – a draw to Rayo Vallecano and win against Real Sociedad.
The club are still calm about the situation and believe it will be done in time before the registration period shuts on 1 September, which also the end of the transfer window.
However, recently, there has been some nervousness from within the club considering the high fee they need to raise and that other players haven’t yet been sold.
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Barcelona need to free up funds
Barcelona need to free up about €20 million if they are to register Kounde, which is a steep hill to climb, and outgoings from the club aren’t progressing quickly either.
The likes of Memphis Depay, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Samuel Umtiti, Martin Braithwaite and Sergino Dest could all leave the club by the end of the window.
Depay was close to joining Juventus but those talks have stalled in recent days, with the Bianconeri now identifying alternatives in case the Dutchman doesn’t join them by the end of the window.
Aubameyang is interested in a move to Chelsea and the Blues have prepared an offer for him, and Barcelona will meet soon to discuss it and whether they will accept the deal.
🗣️ Xavi on Jules Kounde at Barcelona
"It bothers us all but Mateu and Jordi are doing an extraordinary job to register him.
"It bothers me because we signed him to play and he understands that.
"Let's wait for the next week, let's see if there's luck in this."— Football España (@footballespana_) August 21, 2022
Umtiti, meanwhile, is close to joining Lecce, with Barcelona reportedly paying his wages and accepting bonuses, while Braithwaite’s contract could be terminated in the coming days.
Dest has also been left out of matchday squads, with Xavi reportedly telling the American that he’s not part of his plans for the upcoming season, and his sale could raise more money.
Barcelona had problems in registering their other signings, and needed an economic lever through the sale of shares in Barca Studios to get it done a day before the start of the season.
