Barcelona willing to sell defensive star to Arsenal if alternative sale doesn’t come off | OneFootball

Barcelona have maintained consistently that they do not need to make a major sale this summer, but the noises coming out of the Catalan capital suggest otherwise. It could open the door for Arsenal to strengthen their defence.

The Gunners reportedly enquired about French defender Jules Kounde, who has been key for Barcelona over the last two seasons, but for the most part from right-back rather than his preferred centre-back position. Sport say that they have told Arsenal to have patience.

If the Blaugrana do not manage to secure the sale of Ronald Araujo this summer, then they would open the door to a departure for Kounde. The Frenchman remains one of their more valuable assets, and commands a salary of around €13m gross per year. If Araujo leaves, then Barcelona will not entertain offers for him.

Kounde himself has been public and clear about his desire to stay at the club so far, but Arsenal are certainly and attractive project currently. It makes more sense for Barcelona to sell Araujo this summer. With his contract talks seemingly going nowhere, and his deal up in 2026, the Blaugrana will not want to be forced into a cut-price sale next summer.