Barcelona want to sign Jules Kounde from Sevilla this summer according to Marca. They want the 23-year-old Frenchman to reinforce the centre of their defence but it’s not going to be easy to prise him from the Sanchez-Pizjuan. Sevilla want a fee of €60m for him.
But that’s more than Barcelona are willing to pay. They first need to balance this year’s budget, which is currently €160m in the red, and they may need to allocate some of the funds they receive from their financial levers to offset their considerable debt of €1.35bn.
Barcelona are also trying to sign Robert Lewandowski this close-season and in the case of Kounde as well as Raphinha face serious competition from Premier League clubs. Sevilla want to get the deal done as soon as possible but Barcelona are going to need time to get their finances in order and close the deal. Not easy.
