Barcelona show tentative interest in €35 million-rated Chelsea right-back – report

Jules Kounde has well and truly owned the right-back position for Barcelona this season and it would not be an overstatement to call him one of the best in his position in the world.€35 m€

The Frenchman’s development over the years has helped the Catalans immensely, especially this term after they failed to secure the continuity of Joao Cancelo. However, the club are still attentive to market opportunities as it stands.

As revealed by SPORT, Chelsea’s Reece James has come up as a name that might interest the Blaugrana following his unfortunate situation with injuries.

A medical suggestion

The English right-back has been constantly struggling with injury setbacks for a long time now and last played an official match for Chelsea only in May.

After that, he featured for the club against Real Madrid in pre-season only to leave the field injured and is still without a clear date for his return.

As reported last week James’ physiotherapists have recommended that he shift to a warmer country to get rid of his continuous injuries and that Barcelona is thus an option that fits well for all parties involved.

Benfica are also in contention as an option the player’s entourage considers to tick the required boxes.

In what also comes as a big boost for Barcelona, Chelsea would not be opposed to the player’s departure especially given their massive squad size and need to clear space on the wage bill.

Should a move to Catalonia work out, the 24-year-old can not only contribute as a right-back but also as a centre-back, wing-back, pivot or winger and would thus be an asset for Flick.

As it stands, however, the defender is focused on succeeding at Stamford Bridge and is working hard to return to Enzo Maresca’s dynamics. It remains to be seen how his fitness pans out in the coming months.

*Player valuation in title obtained from transfermarkt.com on date of publication.