Barcelona win civil lawsuit; avoid paying €3million for the operation to sign Jules Kounde – Report | OneFootball

FC Barcelona have been handed an off-pitch boost after winning a civil case linked to the 2022 signing of Jules Kounde. For a club that still has to watch every euro carefully, avoiding a fresh €3 million hit matters more than it would at most other giants.

According to SPORT, a Barcelona court dismissed the claim brought by FIFA agent Isaac Tutumlu, who argued he was owed around €3 million for his alleged role in helping Barca land Kounde from Sevilla. The same reporting says the ruling went in the club’s favour and the agent’s claim was thrown out.

The dispute centred on Tutumlu’s claim that he had been asked to act as an intermediary in the operation and that his work helped steer Kounde toward Camp Nou instead of Chelsea. The amount he sought was reported as roughly 6 percent of the defender’s €50 million transfer fee.

That makes this a meaningful legal win from a Barcelona perspective. The club are used to transfer noise, but legal claims around old deals can become expensive distractions very quickly, especially when financial fair play is still hanging over almost every decision Barca make.

Barca see the ruling as a clear vindication of their position, namely that no commission was due in this case. Another important detail is that the claim was not merely reduced, but dismissed. Tutumlu has the option to appeal to the Provincial Court of Barcelona, so this may not be the absolute final chapter yet.

Even so, Barca will take this as a win. Kounde has already cost the club heavily through his transfer fee and bonus clauses, so avoiding another €3 million payment is not a small detail. To be fair, he has more than paid back for that on the pitch.

When fit and in form, the Frenchman is one of Hansi Flick’s best players and it remains to be seen if he can return from his latest injury at a high level.