- Interest shown from England
- Discussions were held
- Ended up at Camp Nou
WHAT HAPPENED? The France international defender had found himself at the centre of much speculation prior to a £56 million ($64m) deal taking him to Camp Nou during the summer of 2022. Plenty of interest had been shown from the Premier League, but the versatile 23-year-old eventually decided that Camp Nou was the place for him.
WHAT THEY SAID: Explaining that big career call and why he snubbed advances from England, Kounde has told L’Equipe: “First, I come to a huge club, which has known good times and which, lately, has had less. I come to a project that I would not call reconstruction, because we already have a competitive team, but rather, being upturned. I was interested in being part of this new wave, in search of titles, and to put Barca back where it has always been, among the best clubs.
“Then there was the conversation with the coach. We talked about football, mainly. I felt a real confidence from him, that he had a real knowledge of myself, my game and my qualities. I spoke with Tuchel and I also felt that he wanted me to come but I simply preferred Xavi's speech.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Kounde has taken in five appearances for Barca since joining them from Sevilla, with four victories collected from those outings as Xavi’s side have made an unbeaten start to the 2022-23 La Liga campaign.
IN THREE PHOTOS:
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA? The Catalan giants will be back in action against Real Mallorca on October 1, while Chelsea are looking to kick-start their season in west London after replacing Tuchel in their dugout with former Brighton boss Graham Potter.