Barcelona defender Jules Kounde open to leaving club this summer

Barcelona defender Jules Kounde is open to leaving the club this summer, just a year after joining from Sevilla.

According to Toni Juanmarti, Kounde is not comfortable with his role at right-back this season, and thus has let the club and Xavi Hernandez know that he would be open to leaving in the transfer window. With no clear replacement on the way, he fears he may end up continuing there.

The news has been confirmed by Gerard Romero. It comes after a season in which Kounde has been used at right-back, depsite his obvious discomfort in the position. Without alternartives, the Frenchman was by far and away Xavi’s best option.

While Kounde has not requested a move, he has made it clear that he is not happy with the situation. It is thought that part of the reason he joined Barcelona last season was due to the fact that Xavi was able to offer him football in his best position, while other suitors Chelsea were not. Barcelona, also in need of sales, are aware his value is higher than it was last summer too.

In terms of level, Kounde has been below that of Andreas Christensen and Ronald Araujo, albeit playing out of position. However his loss would represent losing a strategic piece for the coming years exiting the club. Many saw Kounde and Araujo as the partnership for many of the coming years, and both Christensen and Araujo have shown themselves to be more injury prone than the former Sevilla defender.

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