Kounde ready to leave Barcelona over continued use at right-back
The Frenchman has never hidden his desire to play in the middle of the back four
Jules Koundé could leave Barça in the summer transfer window. As 'Relevo' revealed, the player has communicated internally that he is not comfortable with his role at right-back and that he would be willing to listen to offers to leave as long as there was a good agreement for all parties, something that SPORT has been able to confirm.
Koundé's position has surprised the coaching staff because he has played practically everything when he has been available and Barça are not panicking with regards to the new developments. They are clear that they need to sell and that they will not keep anyone against their will.
The French centre-back, who was very upset by last weekend's half-time substitution against Real Sociedad, has seen Xavi prioritise his use as a right-back rather than a centre-back. In fact, the first-choice pairing at the moment is Ronald Araújo, who is absolutely unquestionable, and Andreas Christensen.
Kounde is also clear that the arrival of Íñigo Martínez could further cement his place as a full-back, something he does not see at all clearly.
He has had irregular performances at the end of the season, although nobody doubts that he is a top-level player. Barça paid 55 million euros for him after tough negotiations with Sevilla. Koundé rejected other proposals such as Chelsea's because of his insistence to join Barça and Xavi convinced him that he would be a starting centre-back during the season, something that has not happened.
Now, Barça will have to temper the situation to try to see if it is a heat-of-the-moment reaction or an irrevocable decision. In the event that he wants to leave, the Blaugrana already know that Chelsea are willing to pay a higher price than Barça paid Sevilla last summer. And it could be a beneficial operation in terms of income for the Catalan club.
Koundé's departure would trigger the arrival of a top-class right-back and Juan Foyth would clearly be the chosen one in this scenario. Director of football Mateu Alemany has already warned that it will be a busy summer and it looks like it.
