"Barça's style is perfect for Koundé," vouches the player's former coach Gustavo Poyet on his quality

Gustavo Poyet had trained Jules Koundé at Girondins de Bordeaux, back when the French defender was a young player who swiftly began making a name for himself. The Uruguayan coach is not at all surprised that he ended up at FC Barcelona. He does not doubt that he will succeed and become an important player for Xavi Hernandez.

Do you think Jules Koundé is ready to play for Barça?

Yes, without a doubt. At the age of 19, he debuted in a club with a lot of history like the Girondins. And he managed to get a place in the eleven. He played with lots of coaches since then and now in Sevilla, he has been shining with great performances. He has proven himself in a club that was competing for great things and has excelled, has won titles and has consolidated himself. He is also at the right age.

You always trusted him. You saw a lot of potential in him.

Yes, but he earned it. He is a player who is always looking to improve, always asking to do specific jobs. With his work and his performances, he showed that he deserved to play.

Do you think the style of play that Xavi wants to implement at Barça suits him?

Barça's style suits him perfectly. At Barça, there is always a lot of space behind the defence but Jules is very powerful and quick to cover if necessary. Xavi, as I prefer myself as well, wants centre-backs who are daring on the ball, who can break through the lines. I encouraged him to step into midfield to press in numbers.

Sometimes he even stepped into the box. He even scored a goal against Barça by making an impressive run from midfield, that included a nutmeg.

Yes, sometimes I had to stop him because he loves to go up with the ball. And then he has the ability and the pace to track back.

Mentally, do you see him ready to play in a big team like Barça?

Yes, that's what I was saying before. At 19 he made his debut at Girondins and he has a strong personality. He is very professional, and he won't mind playing for Barça. They are making very good signings, building a very competitive team and I'm sure that if Xavi manages to find the balance and everyone supports him, he won't have any problems.

It is always said that it is not easy to adapt to the azulgrana game.

Koundé apart from being powerful also has a good understanding of the game, I don't think he will have many problems in this sense. In the end, it is about working on it in the training pitch but he has all the conditions to adapt perfectly.

Do you think he and Araujo can form a good centre-back pairing?

Yes, the two can compliment each other. They are two players with a physical presence, fast and perfect for Barça's style. Araujo already plays with the Uruguayan senior team and is a very aggressive player, in a good way, and he already has experience playing for Barça. Jules can learn from him in this aspect and also from the other central defenders, like Piqué.

He is also versatile. Do you see him as a full-back?

He can play in that position. In some particular situations, he can play on the wing but personally, I think he is better when he plays as a central defender, I like him more there. But it is true that because of his quality he can also play on the wing.