Jules Kounde of Barcelona in the pregame warmup session during the UEFA Champions League Matchday 5 of 8 Chelsea v Barcelona at Stamford Bridge, London, United Kingdom, 25th November 2025.
Photo by Alfie Cosgrove/News Images
There is no shortage of transfer-related rumours that are emerging related to FC Barcelona this summer. From arrivals to potential exits, the Catalan giants remain tangled in a web of uncertainty as to which players will end up leaving and if any more will end up arriving.
At the moment, one of the names heavily being linked to a potential departure is that of Alejandro Balde. The Spanish left-back, who was also excluded from the match-day squad that took on Elche recently, currently has an uncertain future ahead of him when it comes to his stay at Barça.
However, he might not be the only defensive player who could be on his way out if the right offer arrives. According to SPORT, 27-year-old French defender Jules Kounde is no longer seen as a guaranteed starter in Hansi Flick’s team and this could push Barça to consider selling him.
If the right offer arrives, the report claims that the Catalan club could be willing to sit down and negotiate an exit for the player. As for whether or not this actually ends up happening, much of that mainly depends on the kind of offer that is ultimately presented if any arrives.
As of right now, however, Kounde is neither considered the starting right-back for the team nor is he a guaranteed starting centre-back. The latter is due to the fact that Pau Cubarsi and Gerard Martin have already formed a formidable defensive partnership, while Eric Garcia is assumed to be Flick’s first-choice pick for the right-back position.
Even during the recent clash against Elche, Kounde did not start the game despite Cubarsi still not being ready to start matches for the team. Instead, Flick decided to entrust that responsibility to replace the young Spaniard to Andreas Christensen, who is now enjoying a resurgence of sorts as well at Barcelona this season.