Liverpool are battling Manchester City and Chelsea for the signing of Barcelona right-back Jules Kounde, according to an intriguing new report.
There has been so much focus on the Reds’ centre-back and attacking woes this season that it is easy to forget about their problems at right-back.
Conor Bradley won’t play again in 2025/26 and could miss the rest of the calendar year with a serious knee injury, while Jeremie Frimpong has picked up four different fitness issues since arriving from Bayer Leverkusen.
It has meant that Liverpool have had to play Joe Gomez and Dominik Szoboszlai out of position – even Curtis Jones at times, too – and it will be interesting to see if additions are made there in the next transfer window.
According to Mundo Deportivo [via Sport Witness], the Reds have a chance of signing Kounde from Barcelona at the end of this season, with the Spanish giants willing to potentially accept a “substantial offer” for him.
Could Jules Kounde ease Liverpool’s right-back issues?
Kounde may be injured currently, but he has been such a consistent right-back for both Barca and France in recent years, combining defensive solidity and attacking quality.
The 27-year-old has registered three assists and averaged a 90.8% pass completion rate in La Liga this season, while 1.9 clearances and 1.7 tackles per game show how effective he is off the ball, too. Barca manager Hansi Flick has also made it clear how much he rates Kounde as a footballer, too, saying of him in the past: “
“It’s Unbelievable. I have never experienced this before. After the match, he wants to train. He is a great professional and takes excellent care of his physical condition. In every training session, he wants to give it his all. This attitude is not common, but it’s very good.”
Still, Liverpool may feel that the France international isn’t needed because of the quality and depth they have in that area, showing faith in Bradley and Frimpong for the time being.
The fact that Kounde would cost big money also works against the deal happening, with the Reds needing to spend funds on other positions instead.