Barcelona today presented Jules Kounde as their player, complete with official signatures and photos. The Frenchman arrived in Barcelona on Thursday but was waiting for Joan Laporta and the squad to return from their preseason tour to the United States.
As ever, the press conference tends to be the most interesting part of these events. Many of the questions went to Laporta about future signings rather than Kounde.
In the lead up to his signing, it was heavily rumoured that Sevilla had agreed a deal with Chelsea for the French defender, something Kounde confirmed.
“Yes, it’s true that I had the opportunity to sign for another club [Chelsea], but the choice was clear for me. It wasn’t an effort for me to come, because I knew I wanted to come to Barcelona.”
It just goes to show that Barcelona are still able to use their cachet garnered over the last 15 years in order to attract players. After two desperate years, Barcelona appear to be back on the up again. Chelsea won a Champions League two seasons ago but for Kounde at least, the Blaugrana remain a more attractive option.
