French defender believes joining Barcelona will boost his chances of featuring at the World Cup | OneFootball

Barcelona are intent on bolstering their defensive line this summer despite the impending addition of Andreas Christensen on a free transfer. And Xavi Hernandez has earmarked Sevilla ace Jules Kounde as his priority centre-back target.

Kounde has been a revelation since joining Sevilla from Bordeaux in a €25 million deal in the summer of 2019. The 23-year-old has been an integral part of the success that Julen Lopetegui’s side have achieved over the past three seasons.

And his performances for the Andalusian outfit have attracted a lot of attention, with Barcelona making the Frenchman their top target, along with Premier League giants Chelsea heading into the summer window.

While Chelsea have the financial wherewithal to offer Kounde much better personal terms than Barça, Mundo Deportivo reports that the 23-year-old defender prefers a transfer to Camp Nou this summer.

The report states that Kounde is of the belief that a move to Barcelona would give him a better chance of making it to the France squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar later this year.

France have a plethora of top-class centre-halves to pick from, such as Raphael Varane, Presnel Kimpembe, Lucas Hernandez, Wesley Fofana, Kurt Zouma, Ibrahima Konate, William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano, among others.

So, manager Didier Deschamps is spoilt for choices in the centre-back department ahead of the World Cup. And Kounde, who was part of the France squad that won the UEFA Nations League last year, is intent on ensuring that he is on the plane for Qatar later this year.

And, as per the report, the 23-year-old believes that signing for Barcelona would give him the best chance of doing so. The player and his agent are aware that they are the Catalans’ priority ahead of Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly.

And, even though the operation will be complicated to pull off, Barça are not backing down, having opened formal negotiations with Sevilla to sign Kounde.