Barcelona request €60m for key defender following Chelsea inquiry – report

Barcelona has informed Arsenal, that they will not sell Jules Kounde for less than €60 million, claims a report from SPORT.

Due to Barcelona’s current financial struggles, the club’s management is looking for ways to comply with financial fair play rules this summer.

This means they need to find a balance between their expenditures and income, and potentially offload some players to make room for new signings.

As part of this financial strategy, Barcelona are open to listening to offers for nearly half of their squad and Kounde is one of the players who has attracted a lot of interest.

He has performed exceptionally well this season and has shown his versatility by playing as a right-back for two consecutive years, even though his natural position is centre-back.

Barcelona values Kounde and sees him as an important part of their future plans. However, their financial needs make it necessary to consider selling him if the right offer comes along.

Arsenal have expressed interest in Kounde

As reported before, Arsenal have already reached out to Barcelona to discuss the possibility of signing Kounde. Initially, Barcelona asked for some time before making a decision.

This is because the potential sale of Kounde is closely linked to the future of another key player, Ronald Araujo. If Araujo stays with Barcelona, they will be more open to negotiating Kounde’s transfer.

However, if Araujo leaves, Barcelona will not consider selling Kounde. They have communicated this condition clearly to Arsenal.

Barcelona have also made it clear that Kounde will not be sold for less than €60 million under any circumstances. He has a contract with Barcelona until 2027, which includes a massive release clause of €1 billion.

On one hand, while it is true that selling Kounde would help Barcelona significantly by reducing their wage bill since his salary exceeds €13 million, they would prefer to keep him.