Chelsea and Man Utd 'very, very interested' in Barcelona star

Tom Weber

Updated: 12 Mar 2024 13:45 GMT
3 min read

Mauricio Pochettino, Erik ten Hag — © IMAGO

Chelsea and Manchester United are 'very, very interested' in Jules Kounde, according to Spanish media.

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The Barcelona defender is once again the subject of speculation. Despite being a solid performer, the France international is seemingly always among the first players named when it comes to potential Blaugrana sales.

The Catalans are still strapped for cash and will likely have to sacrifice some talent in the summer to balance the books and strengthen key areas such as the midfield, which has become a major area concern after injuries to Gavi, Pedri and Frenkie de Jong.

According to Sport, Kounde could be sold in the summer, with Barcelona sporting director Deco keen to offload some centre-backs and reinvest the money into other positions.

Kounde to leave?

Kounde, despite often being used out on the right, is one of the candidates to depart. While his versatility makes him a very attractive player, it also poses a potential headache as the Frenchman is keen to be a starting central defender. It is claimed that he could leave in search of a regular spot at the heart of defence elsewhere.

During his Sevilla days, the 25-year-old was one of Europe's most in-demand defenders, with Chelsea hot on his trail in 2022. The Blues are yet again keen, while Man Utd are also keeping an eye on him, according to the above-mentioned report.

It is asserted that both are 'very, very interested,' though whether that means they will make a move is a different question. Kounde, for his part, is settled at Barcelona and he wouldn't come cheap. Under contract until 2027, Barcelona paid €50 million for him in 2022 and he currently has an Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) of €57.7m.