Premier League club joins the race for €55m Barcelona star wanted by Chelsea

Barcelona will need to decide who they want to sell ahead of the summer transfer market as more clubs have expressed their interest in Jules Kounde.

The Catalan club has severe financial issues and need to offload some of their stars in order to recruit new players for the 2024/25 campaign.

A defender is likely to be sold with interest from across Europe in Kounde and Ronald Araujo. Bayern Munich and Man United have held long-term interest in the Uruguay star but it is uncertain if any of the two clubs will make an official move.

When it comes to the French star, there are a lot more teams queueing up and according to Mundo Deportivo, Newcastle United are the latest to join the race for the 25-year-old.

This is in addition to the Magpies, Chelsea, PSG, Manchester United and Inter Milan are all said to have interest in the Barca defender.

Kounde has a contract in Barcelona until 2027 and it will likely take a huge fee to lure him away from the Catalan club. The former Sevilla star is happy in Spain and does not want to leave Barca over the summer months.

Chelsea have held long-term interest in Jules Kounde

Although Newcastle’s interest is new, the same cannot be said for Chelsea who wanted the defender when he left Sevilla during the summer of 2022.

The Blues were adding centre-backs to their squad but Barcelona won the race by securing a €55m deal. The 25-year-old has not been at his best with the La Liga giants but has mostly featured at right-back rather than his preferred central position.

The next club that signs him will likely use the player in that role and with Thiago Silva leaving Stamford Bridge at the end of the campaign, will the Blues return with an attempt to lure Kounde away from Barcelona?