There were rumors of an agreement between Chelsea and Sevilla to recruit Jules Kounde last week around this time. However, a deal between Barcelona and Sevilla for the French defender was confirmed seven days later.
The 23-year-name old's had been connected to the Blues in recent weeks, and reports emerged out of Seville claiming a deal had been finalized between the two teams. But much as with Raphinha, the player's preferences ultimately won out.
On Thursday night, Barcelona announced that they had reached a deal in principle for the player, pending a medical examination and the signature of contracts. Neither party disclosed financial details of the sale, but media reports have pegged the sum at about €50 million, with a further €10 million in variables.
When can Jules Kounde make his Barcelona debut?
According to Mundo Deportivo's Sergi Sole, Barcelona may debut Jules Kounde in the Joan Gamper Trophy match against Mexican side Pumas UNAM on Sunday, August 7. In spite of this, he probably won't see much action. The Frenchman is currently recovering from an injury and training on his own.
The Frenchman will be able to join the rest of the Blaugrana squad in training beginning early next week. It is expected that the young defender, who had an injury during the summer, will take part in partial training before being officially presented to the rest of the team.
On August 13, Barcelona will play Rayo Vallecano in the La Liga season-opener. It is yet to be confirmed whether the defender will be available to play because of his injury, and due to the fact that he still hasn't been registered with La Liga.
Can Barcelona register Jules Kounde?
As per the Spanish newspaper Marca, before Barcelona can officially register their new defender, they must approve the departures of many prominent players. The new players have participated in pre-season games for the squad, but if anything goes wrong, they may miss the 2022-23 season start against Rayo Vallecano.
