La Liga heavyweights Barcelona have reportedly offered a part-exchange deal to land Sevilla defender Jules Kounde, with Memphis Depay going the other way.
According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Barcelona recently submitted a bid to sign Jules Kounde from Sevilla in the summer transfer window. The Catalan giants are offering a part-exchange deal with a cash payment of €40 million, with Memphis Depay going to the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.
Jules Kounde has established himself as one of the best defenders in La Liga since joining Sevilla from Bordeaux in July 2019. Three years on, the Frenchman is a mainstay at the back for club and country, with his stature rising with every passing month.
The 23-year-old has turned out 133 times for the Andalusian giants thus far in the last three years. And his exploits have not gone unnoticed, with some of the most high-profile clubs in Europe, including Barcelona, setting their sights on him.
The interest from Barcelona stems from the advancing years of Gerard Pique, with the veteran centre-back in the twilight of his illustrious career. In addition, the Catalan giants want to offload Samuel Umtiti and Oscar Mingueza in the summer transfer window, thus necessitating the addition of a new centre-back.
So even though Andreas Christensen has arrived at Camp Nou in a Bosman move, Barcelona can do with another central defender, making Kounde a viable target. The Frenchman has the qualities to succeed Pique in the coming decade, with Barcelona thinking of different ploys to get their hands on him.
The latest such plan will see Barcelona sending Memphis Depay to Sevilla while also offering a cash payment of €40 million. The 28-year-old is surplus to requirements at Camp Nou after Ousmane Dembele’s contract renewal and Raphinha’s arrival from Leeds United. But it is unclear if Sevilla will accept a part-exchange deal to sell Kounde to their La Liga rivals.
In addition, Barcelona will have to fend off stiff competition from Paris Saint-Germain to land the 23-year-old. It will be interesting to see if a player-plus-cash deal involving Depay does the trick, enabling Barcelona to kill two birds with one stone, as they are keen on offloading the 28-year-old Dutch forward.
