In a recent report, ESPN mentioned that Barcelona are keeping a keen eye on Sevilla defender Jules Kounde this summer. It is understood that the Catalan giants are eager to bolster their defence by recruiting the French centre-back in this off-season.
Kounde’s Impressive Numbers In Spanish Football Last Season
Kounde had a decent campaign at the Andalusian club in the previous campaign when he was responsible for putting in a series of solid displays on the defensive end of the field. The 23-year-old featured in 44 matches for Sevilla last season, finding the back of the net three times and securing one assist in all competitions.
The French centre-half was a rock at the back based on his average of 1.3 tackles, 0.7 interceptions and 3.1 clearances per game in La Liga. He was even accurate when distributing the ball from the back, as evidenced by his pass completion rate of 88.9% in the top tier of Spanish football (stats via whoscored).
What Will Kounde Bring To Barcelona?
Kounde is a solid tackler of the ball and can scan the danger quickly to secure possession back inside his half. He usually clears his lines when in danger of being caught out at the back and is proficient at playing his way out from the defence.
A centre-half of Kounde’s skillset will definitely enhance the quality of Barca boss Xavi‘s defence. He could even serve as an ideal successor to Gerard Pique, who has entered the twilight years of his playing career.
We can expect the French talent to bring more bite and steel to Barcelona‘s backline. He is good enough to help the Catalan club close the gap to Real Madrid at the top of Spanish football and even compete for a trophy or two over the next few years.
At 23, Kounde has got a bright future ahead of him as long as he continues to improve with each season. All in all, he could turn out to be a decent signing for Barca to pull off this summer.
