PSG Targets Jules Kounde as Barcelona Softens Defender Sale Stance
Paris Saint-Germain have set their sights on Jules Kounde, and this time the interest comes straight from the top.
According to reports in Spain and France, the Barcelona defender has been identified as a specific request from Luis Enrique, who wants the 27-year-old France international at the heart of his back line next season. Kounde is no longer just a name on a longlist in Paris. He is a target with a plan attached.
Enrique’s blueprint: Kounde back in his natural role
Enrique and his staff see Kounde as a central defender first and foremost. That is how he rose to prominence before his move to Camp Nou, and that is how PSG intend to use him if they can prise him away from Catalonia.
In Paris, the pitch is simple: come home, take your place in the centre of the defence, and play. Fixed minutes, a defined role, and a project built to compete deep into the Champions League. For a player who has spent long stretches shunted out to right-back at Barcelona, the message is clear.
The pressure from PSG is organised, not opportunistic. The French champions are already in open talks with Barcelona over a move for forward Ferran Torres, and they plan to fold Kounde into those discussions, using one negotiation to unlock another.
Al-Khelaifi steps in as PSG revive Barcelona raid
This is not a background operation. RMC Sport report that PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is personally leading the pursuit of Kounde, determined to add another high-profile signing from Barcelona to the club’s recent history.
PSG have gone down this road before. Ousmane Dembele arrived from Barcelona. So did Lionel Messi. Those deals sent strong messages about Paris’ pulling power; Kounde would be another statement, but this time with a clear tactical spine in mind rather than a pure marquee flourish.
For the Ligue 1 side, the logic is straightforward: they believe they can convince Kounde to buy into their project by anchoring the defence and offering the kind of continuity and status that has started to look less certain for him in Spain.
Barcelona’s stance shifts after irregular season
On the Barcelona side, the landscape has changed. Kounde is no longer regarded as “untouchable” after an irregular season under Hansi Flick. His place in the starting XI does not carry the same guarantees it once did, especially with competition building in the defensive unit.
The presence of Eric Garcia and the incorporation of Joao Cancelo threaten to squeeze Kounde’s minutes at right-back, the position he has often been asked to fill. That tactical reshuffle opens the door to a possible exit, one that the club’s hierarchy is now willing to consider.
President Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco know they will not see the €70 million (£60m) bids they turned down last year. Those days, for this player, are gone. But a solid offer could still play a crucial role in easing a strained wage bill and rebalancing the squad.
Joint Kounde–Torres offer on the table
Barcelona’s board are understood to be open to sanctioning the departures of both Kounde and Ferran Torres before the transfer window closes. For a club still wrestling with financial constraints, a double sale would bring both sporting and economic clarity.
PSG intend to test that resolve quickly. Representatives from the French champions are scheduled to meet Barcelona’s sporting leadership in the second week of August. On the agenda: a concrete, initial joint proposal for Kounde and Torres, timed to land before the new Ligue 1 season kicks off.
If Paris get their way, Enrique will have his man in the middle, Al-Khelaifi will have another high-profile coup from Catalonia, and Barcelona will be forced to answer a familiar question: how many pillars of this squad can they afford to let go before the project itself starts to shake?
