Barcelona had to fight hard to secure the signing of Jules Kounde from Sevilla this past summer.
Kounde had been identified as the long-term replacement for veteran defender Gerard Pique by manager Xavi Hernandez, who wanted to sign him at any cost.
The Catalans went head-to-head with Chelsea, who were in a much superior financial position, for the Frenchman’s signing and at moments it looked like the Blues would prevail. However, Barça managed to pull off Kounde’s signing, landing him in a deal worth €50 million.
Even though they secured his signing, Barça had to wait to see the Frenchman in competitive action due to registration issues.
Kounde eventually made his official debut for the club in the 4-0 mauling of Real Valladolid at Spotify Camp Nou close to two weeks ago and is proving to be a brilliant addition to the club already.
Even though he was signed as a centre-back, circumstances forced Xavi to utilise the 23-year-old in a right-back role in both of his matches in La Liga. And Kounde has not let the manager down, putting in extremely impressive performances as a full-back.
Most notably, the French ace registered two assists on his return to Sevilla this past weekend, helping the Blaugrana secure a 3-0 victory.
On Wednesday night, in the UEFA Champions League Group C game against Viktoria Plzen, Kounde found himself starting in his natural habitat at centre-back and was again assured and reliable on the pitch for the Catalan giants, while also grabbing another assist.
Jules Koundé has provided three assists in his last two games for Barça. pic.twitter.com/NPZ0ZHcJV7
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) September 7, 2022
While the sample size is still small, initial evidence suggests that Kounde has what it takes to be a mainstay in the Barcelona defence. The 23-year-old has looked solid defensively and excelled in whatever role Xavi has used him in, showing versatility and adaptability.
The centre-back partnership of Kounde and Ronald Araujo could form the backbone of the Barcelona side for years to come.