PSG Targets Kounde as Barcelona Softens Stance

Paris Saint-Germain have set their sights on Jules Kounde, and this time the interest is being driven from the very top.

According to reports from Fichajes, the Barcelona defender has become a specific request from PSG head coach Luis Enrique, who wants the France international at the heart of his back line this summer. At 27, Kounde is entering his prime, and Enrique views him as a cornerstone rather than a luxury.

This is not a cold call from Paris. Talks are already open between PSG and Barcelona over a move for forward Ferran Torres, and the French champions plan to use that existing channel to push a deal for Kounde, potentially tying both operations together in one major negotiation.

From Paris, the message is clear: this is a priority.

RMC Sport report that club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi is personally leading the pursuit, determined to bring the versatile defender back to his homeland and place him under Enrique’s command.

The sporting idea is already drawn up. Enrique and his staff want Kounde as a central defender, his natural role and the position in which he shone before his switch to Camp Nou. No more shuttling out wide as an auxiliary right-back, no more compromise. PSG are prepared to guarantee him a fixed place in the centre of their defence, a promise they believe can tilt the player’s decision.

PSG have been here before with Barcelona. They prised Ousmane Dembele away, they brought Lionel Messi to Paris. The French champions sense another opportunity as Barcelona’s internal dynamics shift and previously “untouchable” names become negotiable assets.

Kounde’s status has changed at Barça after an irregular season under Hansi Flick. He is no longer ring-fenced within the first-team squad, and his minutes at right-back face direct threat from the presence of Eric Garcia and the incorporation of Joao Cancelo. For a player who wants to play centrally and consistently, the picture in Catalonia has grown cloudy.

Inside the club offices, the calculation is now financial as much as tactical. President Joan Laporta and sporting director Deco know they will not see the €70 million (£60m) offers they turned down last year. That ship has sailed. What they do see is a chance to ease a strained wage bill with a “reasonable” proposal, one that reflects the current market but still delivers meaningful relief.

The board in Barcelona are, according to the same reports, open to authorising the departures of both Kounde and Torres before the window closes. That aligns neatly with PSG’s strategy. The Paris hierarchy are preparing a formal meeting with Barcelona’s sporting direction in the second week of August, with one clear objective: to lay down a concrete, initial joint offer for Kounde and Torres before the new Ligue 1 season kicks off.

For PSG, it is a chance to reshape their defence around a France international in his prime. For Barcelona, it is a test of how far they are willing to bend sporting plans to meet financial reality.

The next move belongs to the negotiators.