Kounde urged to delay transfer decision by Barcelona
Cameron Smith
- 21 Jul 2022 18:00 BST
- 3 min read
Barcelona have urged Jules Kounde to wait for them to match Sevilla's asking price amid Chelsea's latest offer for the Frenchman.
The two European giants are currently locked in a battle for his signature, with the player reportedly happy to join either side.
It's been revealed that Chelsea have offered Kounde an annual wage of around €10 million, while Barcelona can currently offer only €6 to 7m per year.
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Furthermore, The Evening Standard have reported that Chelsea have now bid the €65m that Sevilla want for Kounde, with the Blues keen to finally wrap up a deal for him after over a year of negotiations.
Goal Spain have also reported that Kounde may occupy the house in England vacated by Romelu Lukaku following the Belgian's loan move to Inter MIlan.
However, according to The Guardian's Jacob Steinberg, Barcelona are still trying to hijack Chelsea's move for Kounde and have requested that the Frenchman waits before making a decision.
While Chelsea have offered the asking price Sevilla have set, Barcelona haven't as of yet, meaning Kounde could join the Stamford Bridge outfit soon as talks are in an advanced stage.
But, Barcelona are said to have asked Koundé to wait for them to meet Sevilla’s asking price in order to give themselves a chance of landing him.
Can Barcelona afford Kounde?
CBS reporter Ben Jacobs revealed for FootballTransfers that Barcelona believe they have the finances to afford a move for Kounde while keeping hold of Frenkie de Jong, which suggests they may be able to meet the €65m fee wanted for Kounde.
Barcelona head coach Xavi is said to be a huge admirer of Kounde and wants to add him to a backline that already consists of the likes of Gerard Pique, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen and Eric Garcia.
