Barcelona beat Chelsea to the €50 million signing of Jules Kounde from Sevilla this summer season, but the Frenchman could quickly have been turning out for Manchester City as a substitute.
Kounde was one particular of a few gamers who value Barcelona €50m or extra in the recent window, with Robert Lewandowski’s arrival from Bayern Munich and Raphinha’s from Leeds also achieving very similar figures.
They ended up section of a considerable inflow of new gamers at Camp Nou, and Kounde had to be affected person for his debut – not participating in until finally the 4- earn over Real Vallodolid three video games into the marketing campaign – as Barca scrambled to satisfy La Liga money polices.
Jules Koundé joins an academy rondo at his Barcelona unveiling 🔵🔴pic.twitter.com/NfAgV8OZ7Y
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) August 1, 2022
Kounde is delighted to lastly be up and working at Barcelona, but it could have been so various, with Man Town scouting him 2019.
“Of course, in my first yr at Sevilla,” Kounde explained to Spanish newspaper El Pais when they requested if there experienced been any speak to with Pep Guardiola.
Kounde: ‘he identified as me’
“He known as me. He instructed me that he cherished me and that he considered I would match the way he performed.”
Guardiola and one of his successors as Barcelona coach, Xavi, both scouted Kounde to the nth diploma, the latter lastly finding his person this summer months.
“At a selected position, yes I talked a large amount about soccer with equally of them,” Kounde continued. “And that’s what I like.
“The 1st point, in the discussions I had with them, I realised that they experienced both of those seen me participate in. They knew my abilities correctly. They didn’t chat just to chat. They ended up really specific conversations.”
Instead of becoming a member of City, Kounde invested a few seasons at Sevilla subsequent his €25m arrival from Bordeaux, and was a cornerstone of the aspect that lifted the Europa League in 2020.
In the 97th percentile among defenders league-extensive for shot-creating actions final season, it is tiny ponder Kounde was coveted by Barcelona, Chelsea and, as it turns out, City.
