Arsenal willing to pay €65m to sign Barcelona superstar | OneFootball

Barcelona may be forced to part ways with an important player this summer in order to bankroll their transfer business. The likes of Frenkie de Jong and Ronald Araujo have been mentioned as candidates, but a surprise name could now be thrown into the mix.

Jules Kounde has been one of Barcelona’s best performers this season, and it is made more impressive when considering that he has been playing out of position at right-back. Club officials are delighted with him, which is why there are plans for him to be offered a new contract in the coming weeks.

Kounde’s current deal runs out in 2027, and Barcelona are not only aiming to tie him down for longer in order to avoid any jeopardy down the line, but also because the France international is attracting Premier League interest.

Image via Oskar Montero / Diario AS

Chelsea are desperate to sign Kounde this summer, having missed out on him when he was at Sevilla. And now they have been joined in the race by Arsenal, with MD (via Barca News Network) reporting that the Champions League semi-finalists are preparing make an offer of €65m.

It is worth noting that Kounde has a €1bn release clause at Barcelona, so there is no pressure to sell or even negotiate. And unless the player makes it clear that he is interested in the move, it would be no surprise to see Arsenal emphatically rebuffed.

At 26, Kounde is very much a player that Barcelona can rely on for many more years to come. And given that he has solved their problems at right-back that had been ongoing for many years, there is sure to be a strong desire to ward off any interest that comes his way. A contract agreement will help that to happen too, although failure on this part could open the door to Arsenal.