There is no doubt that one of the main reasons for the lack of silverware for Barcelona this season has been the team’s inability to keep a watertight defense.
This defensive weakness of the Catalans is even more conspicuous when compared to their last season’s performance, when they were clearly the best defensive side in La Liga.
While changes in personnel and system can also be attributed to this weakness, the lack of form of some of the key defenders for Barcelona has also contributed to this problem.
This was especially the case for Jules Kounde, who struggled to perform to his expected standards for a good part of this season.
As a result, he has also been linked with a move away from the club, and in recent days, one of the clubs rumored to be interested in the Barcelona defender has been Aston Villa.
The Premier League side has performed well in this campaign, and can attract some big names in the coming summer as they are favourites to clinch one of the Champions League spots by finishing fourth.
However, as highlighted by Caught Offside, the renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano claims that these links are only rumors at best, and there is no concrete movement taking place in regards to Kounde. The Italian journalist said:
“Some fans have made me aware of a bit of a surprise story about Aston Villa being interested in Jules Kounde this summer, with discussion of the Monchi connection with the former Sevilla defender.”
“However, Villa fans – I’m afraid I have nothing to report here and it looks all quiet on Kounde for now. Barcelona remain happy with him and it would take an important, really important proposal to tempt the club into selling him. So far, nothing has happened and I have no confirmation on this story.”
Romano’s words are easy to believe here, as the French defender has been able to recover his form in the last few weeks, and has been playing at a very high level now.
Thus, Kounde is expected to remain an integral part of the defensive line for Barcelona unless a blockbuster offer arrives, something that is also the case for some of his colleagues in the backline.
