Chelsea Want Barcelona Defender In The Summer: Will The Move Be Successful? | OneFootball

Chelsea are competing for the top four in the Premier League this season. If they manage to remain in the top four at the end of the season, they will qualify for the UEFA Champions League. The Blues will need a lot of quality in their team to give them the depth to compete better in the next season. Hence, Enzo Maresca will be looking to make best use of the upcoming summer transfer window.

Chelsea Want To Make A Move For Jules Kounde:

Spanish news outlet SPORT has reported that Chelsea are targeting Barcelona defender Jules Kounde and want to make a move in the summer. The Frenchman moved to Barcelona in the summer of 2022. The Blues gave their all to bring him to the Stamford Bridge at that moment.

The Frenchman was one of the best defenders in La Liga at Sevilla, and he has taken his game to another level at Barcelona. Kounde is one of the first names in the team sheet under Hasni Flick and has been playing regularly as a right-back. However, he has made that position his own and even the national team manager has kept playing him in that position due to his performances.

The Blues are looking to strengthen their backline amidst uncertainties regarding the future of Axel Disasi, Benoit Badiashile, and Trevoh Chalobah. Wesley Fofana has also struggled with injury issues. Hence, Maresca needs more options to rotate better. There is no doubt that Kounde is currently one of the best in his position in the world.

The Frenchman is a defender who oozes class. The Barcelona star’s versatility is unreal—rock-solid at center-back or buzzing down the right as a full-back. He is quick, reads the game like a book, and rarely gets caught napping. At 5’10”, Kounde is not the tallest, but his leap and timing snuff out aerial threats with ease.

Ball-playing? Smooth as butter—his crisp passes kickstart attacks like nobody’s business. Tackling is sharp, and Kounde has that French flair, staying cool when the heat is on. For a 26-year-old, his big-game nous is ridiculous—think Champions League clutch. Kounde is the real deal, a modern defender built for the top.

He has conceded 23 goals and kept 9 clean sheets in 28 matches in the La Liga 2024/2025 season. That means when Kounde is on the pitch, his team concedes a goal every 98 minutes. Moreover, he has made 2.34 tackles and 0.71 interceptions for every 90 minutes he was on the pitch. Kounde has amassed a G/A of 5 so far this season.

I don’t think that the move will be successful despite the financial issues that Barcelona are facing. The Frenchman is a very important player to Flick and is also happy at the club. So, Barcelona won’t be ready to play the centre-back cum right-back in the transfer window.