Barcelona to sign Sevilla defender on a five-year deal, Jules Kounde on the squad
Barcelona to sign Sevilla defender on a five-year deal, Jules Kounde on the squad: Barcelona has confirmed that they have signed Jules Kounde. This comes after Sevilla’s sporting director Monchi said that Chelsea didn’t sign the defender because they weren’t sure where he would fit in their team. Barcelona said Friday night that Kounde would sign a five-year contract when he starts playing for them on Monday.
What’s more?
The 23-year-contract old’s may also have a one billion euro (£839.6 million) release clause. Kounde has already joined Xavi’s team. On Friday afternoon, he participated in his first coaching session with the team. After Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Franck Kessie, and Andreas Christensen, the former Bordeaux defender is the fifth player Barca has signed this summer.
Chelsea is still looking for one more defender.
How come Chelsea didn’t get Kounde?
Sevilla gets a new coach Monchi blames Chelsea for Kounde’s failed move to Stamford Bridge. Last week, Chelsea agreed to pay a fee for the France international. Monchi told Sevilla’s media that the west London club stopped talking over the weekend because of some last-minute doubts.
“Chelsea kept us locked in talks for the past month and both us and the player reached a verbal agreement with them last Thursday,” Monchi mentioned. “But at the last moment, when everything seemed to be sealed and agreed, Chelsea had a few doubts on the movement that would have caused in their squad, and if the type of player that they needed was actually a profile like Jules Kounde or someone else.”
“Talks stalled on the weekend, and though they put in a extremely good bid they most well-liked to attend, which is completely logical and regular. During this difficult bargaining, [Barcelona sporting director] Mateu Alemany manifested their curiosity for the primary time on Monday. We asked them to make a bid and their first one fell short of what we were expecting. But after working on it, also thanks to an important effort from Barcelona’s side, we got to a very important figure which makes up the record sale in the club’s history.”
“Chelsea then returned to the desk, however finally we accepted Barcelona’s bid as a result of it was higher than Chelsea’s. Eventually, we bought the participant to a membership which he’s completely satisfied to go to, whereas Sevilla had been capable of get the absolute best phrases.”
Tuchel ‘frustrated’ at Barca’s Azpilicueta quest
Thomas Tuchel, the head coach of Chelsea, says there is “no update” on his team’s pursuit of Jules Kounde from Sevilla. However, he also says he doesn’t want to give up on Cesar Azpilicueta. The 32-year-old has one year left on his Chelsea contract, but he has reportedly asked to leave the club after ten years to play for Barcelona in his home country of Spain.
But Tuchel says he isn’t sure if he needs to give Azpilicueta “what he wants.” He thinks Barca undervalued the defender by comparing him to Koulibaly, who signed with Chelsea for £33 million. When asked about the future of the Spanish player, Tuchel said, “It’s a tough question because I am not sure if I want to give Azpi what he wants.”
“At some level it’s about what we would like. I simply made the comparability about how a lot we fought for Koulibaly, who’s a nationwide group participant and roughly the identical age. He is a hugely important player for Napoli but we have a Spanish international who is the captain at Chelsea. I see him maybe at the same level but Barcelona don’t see him on that level. So I am not sure if I want to give him what he wants as he is a huge player.”
“We do not assume a lot about different golf equipment. The focus is on us and what we’d like. I mentioned that to him and I say it to you that I perceive on a private and a profession degree. But I’m not solely on this position to present him what he needs. I’m a supervisor for Chelsea who needs to do what’s greatest for Chelsea. He doesn’t like it but he understands. It is tough for him because the other club is permanently on him. On September 1 when things calm down, then he can play on his highest level.”