Renewing Kounde’s contract is great news for Barca

Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images

Best years of his career ahead...

Think for a moment if you will about the impact of not having Jules Kounde in the Barcelona back line.

Sure, there are players that can come in and ‘do a job,’ but the Frenchman has added much needed balance to the right side of the back four.

For a player who was always seen as a centre-back - a position it’s believed Kounde prefers - the way in which he’s made the right-back position his own, particularly under a hugely demanding Hansi Flick, is nothing short of sensational.

No one has played more minutes for the club over the last three seasons (9,724), even if his 115 games is three short of Robert Lewandowski’s 118. That is the epitome of consistency.

Work and consistency. Kounde always delivers. pic.twitter.com/SFOS3LgBG2

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 22, 2025

Rarely injured, the Frenchman is one of those players that you can’t fail to like because he wears his footballing heart on his sleeve.

There’s nothing really ‘fancy’ about him - aside from his fashion choices - and that’s because he takes his craft seriously.

All Kounde appears to be interested in is doing well for the team, and both he and they rejoiced in his epic Copa del Rey final winner last season.

Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images

Now supporters could be set to rejoice too as he has now confirmed he will shortly put pen to paper on a new deal that will keep him at the club until 2030.

“Everything is ready to renew until 2030 when we return to Barcelona. It was quick,” he told reporters on South Korea today when asked about the situation.

By then he will be 31 years of age and will have spent arguably the best years of his career at Barca.

The occasional moans and groans from culers that ‘he’s no Dani Alves’ is rather missing the point.

Photo by Koji Watanabe/Getty Images

Kounde brings his own set of skills to the table and I’d contend that he’s a much, much better defender than Alves ever was. And after all, that is his primary duty in the team.

He may not get forward as much as the Brazilian did, but the squad have plenty of players to trouble the opposition.

When Kounde moves into attacking territory, it needs to be with a purpose rather than just for the sake of it, leaving his fellow defenders exposed when so doing.

Playing Flick’s very high line has been conducive to an out and out attacking style from the current squad in any event, and it must be said that there’s no way the coach would consider playing such a risky strategy if he didn’t believe in the first-choice back four he has in place at this point in time.

Roll on this season...!

Source: barcablaugranes.com