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French defender Jules Kounde will miss Barcelona's second La Liga game of the 2022-23 campaign against Real Sociedad on Sunday.
According to Sport, Barcelona will be unable to register the 23-year-old before the Sociedad game unless they reduce the salary of existing squad members or part ways with friinge players.
The Blaugrana were in a race against time to register their new signings before their La Liga opener against Rayo Vallecano last weekend. Club president Joan Laporta was able to activate the Blaugrana's fourth economic lever', which helped them raise €100 million in exchange for 25% of Barca Studios.
The influx of funds allowed the club to register Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Franck Kessie, Andreas Christensen, Ousmane Dembele, and Sergi Roberto. Dembele and Roberto are considered new signings, as they signed new contracts with the club after the expiration of their previous deals.
However, Xavi Hernandez's side were unable to register Jules Kounde, who was forced to miss the Rayo Vallecano game. The former Sevilla star now looks set to miss the Sociedad game too due to Barcelona's inability to sell players or reduce the club's wage bill.
Kounde is one of the Blaugrana's statement signings this summer. The Frenchman was heavily courted by many top Europe's clubs, including Chelsea, but eventually joined Xavi's side in a deal worth €50 million. He's seen as the long-term replacement of veteran defender Gerard Pique, who's in the twilight of his career.
The Blaugrana were in negotiations with Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets for salary reduction, but talks have stalled. Meanwhile, the club are eager to part ways with a few fringe players. Memphis Depay has been heavily linked with a move to Juventus. The Dutch forward is seemingly surplus to requirements this season due to the plethora of attacking options at Xavi's disposal.
As per Metro, Manchester United are interested in signing American right-back Sergino Dest. The youngster has struggled to live up to expectations and nail down a regular place in the starting lineup since arriving from Ajax in 2020.
According to football.london, Chelsea are courting Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Blues are desperately short of attacking options following the departure of Romelu Lukaku (on loan to Inter Milan) and Timo Werner (to RB Leipzig) this summer.
Barcelona's inability to register Jules Kounde has stalled their move for Marcos Alonso
Barcelona will not be permitted to make any new signings till they register Jules Kounde. Therefore, their pursuit of Chelsea left-back Marcos Alonso has stalled.
Xavi's side are keen to sign a top-quality left-back to provide cover and competition to veteran Jordi Alba. Marcos Alonso has made 212 appearances for Chelsea across competitions. He has won the Premier League title, FA Cup, EFL Cup, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup with the Blues. His technical and attacking abilities make him an enticing target for Barcelona.
The 31-year-old agreed personal terms with Barcelona months ago and is expected to sign a two-year deal with the club as per The Daily Mail. He could be forced to wait for another week before making a move to Camp Nou, though.
