FC Barcelona have a very talented squad that is still very young and with most players yet to enter their prime years. The Catalan club had a brilliant 2024/25 season and will be keen to build on that foundation in the upcoming years.
One of the team’s most important players at the moment is Jules Kounde. The French right-back is one of the first names on the team sheet for Hansi Flick, and last season, he almost played every single minute for Barcelona before injury struck.
Now, as per RMC journalist Fabrice Hawkins (h/t Mundo Deportivo), Premier League club Manchester City recently made an enquiry to sign the Barcelona defender, but the player himself rejected the approach from the English team.
Kounde and Flick – an excellent partnership
Kounde is under contract at Barcelona until 2027 and maintains an excellent relationship with Hansi Flick and the coaching staff. There are positive sentiments for both parties over a potential renewal in the near future.
Although it is not a priority, Barcelona are confident of tying down the 26-year-old to a new long-term contract, provided FFP allows them to. The €65 million-rated Frenchman deserves a pay raise for his consistency in recent seasons.
Kounde’s seamless transition from center-back to right-back has been quite incredible in recent years. Currently, Barcelona have one of the best right-backs in the world who can easily transition to the middle if the need necessitates it in the future.
Will Eric allow Kounde to play at CB more often?
It remains to be seen if the emergence of Eric Garcia as a solid right-back prompts Hansi Flick to use Kounde in central defence on occasion in the upcoming season. That said, the German coach is still likely to use Frenchman on the right as much as possible.
Kounde missed the end of last season and will be keen to make a successful return from injury during pre-season. The coming weeks should provide further clarity on the 26-year-old’s contract renewal, and let’s wait and see how it plays out.
