The signing of Jules Koundé by the FC Barcelona It has been announced this Thursday, after ‘eternal’ negotiations. During the session on Wednesday, the Catalan entity reached a ‘definitive’ agreement with Sevilla for 50 million euros fixed plus variable so that the 23-year-old center-back begins to form part of Xavi Hernández’s squad from next season.
That is why this Thursday Koundé left the concentration of the Seville team in Lagos (Portugal) to set course for Barcelona. During this week, he was training under the orders of Julen Lopetegui, but on the sidelines because He is in full recovery after the pubic injury from which he underwent surgery after the group stage of the Nations League, in June. The footballer did not enter the call for the friendly against Sporting de Portugal (1-1) and neither did he against Rangers (6-0).
JULES KOUNDE ARRIVED IN BARCELONA @JijantesFC pic.twitter.com/SeER5D1IOq
— Gerard Romero (@gerardromero) July 28, 2022
The Frenchman landed in Barcelona this afternoon and from the club They have already defined their ‘action’ plan for the remainder of the 2022-2023 preseason. He will not travel to the United States, since the club has a friendly against New York Red Bull, in New Jersey, at dawn this Sunday (1:00 a.m. in Spain), as reported in the newspaper ‘AS’. The club prefers that he stay in Barcelona and wait for the team, which will arrive shortly after.
In this sense, It is expected that this Thursday the center-back will pass the medical review with Barça to be officially presented as a Barça player next week. It is worth remembering that the presentation of Robert Lewandowski is scheduled for Friday, August 5, but in the aforementioned source they establish that it will be different acts and that Koundé’s could be during the first days.
Koundé, a luxury reinforcement for Barça
Thus, the international with France becomes the fifth reinforcement of the Barça first team for the 2022-2023 season, after Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski. It has been precisely Xavi Hernández who has insisted on his signing to reinforce the axis of the defensive back. He sees him as the team’s next leader in that area and believes that he can be key for Barça to meet its goal of fighting for titles.