Jules Kounde
There continues to be speculation surrounding the future of Jules Kounde, and AC Milan could apparently explore the idea of signing him.
As Calciomercato.com point out, Kounde is going through a difficult period in his career as he has lost his starting spot for both Barcelona and France, and has reportedly been put up for sale by the Catalan side.
Read SempreMilan ad-free and get access to exclusive news. Click here for a free trial!
While several Premier League clubs are interested in his situation, it will be up to the former Sevilla player to decide whether to start a new chapter in January or try fight to get his spot back.
A fate to be deciphered
Having established himself in Spain, Koundé was sought after by the big clubs across Europe and was acquired by Barcelona from Chelsea. Under Hansi Flick he was given a rather surprise starting spot mostly at full-back.
In recent months, however, his central role in the Blaugrana project has been diminishing. His playing time has declined sharply, and given his generous salary, the club wouldn’t be too opposed to a lucrative transfer.
Jules Kounde #5 of France
Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images
Flick now relies on Eric Garcia and Joao Cancelo in his place, while the new France coach Zinedine Zidane seems to prefer Pierre Kalulu. Between club and country, in the last six matches, he has played only 90 minutes of the 540 available.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool have made inquiries about him. Barca have no intention of selling off one of their assets on the cheap, especially one tied to the club by a contract (albeit a very hefty €6.5m net per year) until 2030.
If Koune were to open up to a move, a full-blown auction would be unleashed for Koundé. Italian teams could also participate: such a player would be especially useful for Inter and Milan, who have some defensive gaps that a versatile, experienced player could help fill.