Arsenal eye audacious £50m Jules Kounde transfer

Arsenal closed the curtain on a miserable 2020/21 season with a 2-0 final day win over Brighton in the Premier League as full attention turns to a hectic summer transfer window. A host of players have been linked with a move to north London already, although none perhaps as audacious of Jules Kounde.

At one stage this (can we say last yet?) season Mikel Arteta had eight centre-backs to choose from. The first rule of squad building is balance and nowhere was more bloated than in the heart of the defence. Worst of all, they weren’t even strong options.

Failings of the past regime threw him under the bus in that regard and relieving two of them of their contracts and sending another two out on loan followed.

A combination of David Luiz, Shkodran Mustafi and Rob Holding have assumed the right centre-back duties throughout the season, while different defensive systems have also been implemented, showcasing the lack of a certified all-rounder in that department.

https://twitter.com/David_Ornstein/status/1396723910020935681

Arsenal eye audacious £50m Jules Kounde signing from Sevilla in summer transfer window

Luiz bid his goodbyes to the squad as he prepares to embark on a new adventure, with his spot in the team due to be filled by the returning William Saliba who has had a fantastic six-month spell with Nice. His excellent displays were topped off with a winning goal on the final day of the season away at Lyon.

Konstantinos Mavropanos has also impressed with Stuttgart but is due to depart either on loan or permanently once more this summer. Numbers-wise, and with Calum Chambers also capable of filling in, Arsenal would look well stocked. Nonetheless, it’s been widely reported that Arteta is on the hunt for another body, a transfer that has been a long-time desire.

As per The Athletic, attentions have turned to Sevilla’s Jules Kounde, one of the most sought after central defensive options in Europe and another one on the endless conveyor belt of outstanding French centre-backs. They truly are spoilt in that department.

Tracked by Manchester United and Chelsea, Kounde joined the club in 2019 from Bordeaux for £21m, making stunning progress and earning himself a spot in Didier Deschamps’ Euro 2020 squad.

Valued at no less than £50m, he is some Arsenal are yearning for. Can they secure him and is he needed?

Continued…