Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca will need to wait and see which European competition he is involved in next season before finalising his transfer plans.
Maresca’s side will seal a spot in the UEFA Europa League – if they win the Conference League title in 2025 – but the Italian has his sights set higher for his second campaign in charge.
Chelsea are currently fourth in the Premier League rankings, with nine games left to play, and fourth spot will secure a desired Champions League return – and fifth position could also be good enough, if the EFL gain an extra place.
The signs look positive over a drive back into the UCL and Maresca is hopeful that will secure the financial injection needed to make major transfers in the months ahead.
Barcelona defender Jules Kounde reportedly remains on his radar with the France international facing a key decision over his future in Catalonia.
Jules Kounde’s Barcelona contract, transfer value, stats
Kounde has switched from his favoured center-back position to right-back in the last 18 months with Hansi Flick continuing Xavi Hernandez’s deployment of the former Sevilla defender.
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The 26-year-old has excelled in the new role, with plenty of Barcelona fans hinting he should remain there, but Kounde wants to move back centrally.
As per reports from Diario Sport, there has been little progress over contract extension talks, with Kounde’s current Barcelona contract expiring in June 2026.
Chelsea also hold two key advantages over Barcelona in both their ability to offer more guarantees over playing at the heart of their defence and a significant salary increase at Stamford Bridge.
Flick’s seemingly stoic position on not playing him at center-back has caused friction and Chelsea are preparing a £50m [$65m] offer for a player who famously rejected them in favour of Barcelona back in 2022.
There are still multiple steps to navigate, with Kounde previously indicating he is happy at Barcelona, but finances could decide how this eventually plays out.
Kounde has racked up 132 appearances across three seasons at Barcelona, with 187 in La Liga including his time at Sevilla, and six goals scored for La Blaugrana.
Some of his deeper numbers [from right-back] will also catch the eye of Chelsea supporters, as he topped the La Liga charts in 2023/24 for progressive carrying distance – with a whopping 5961Â – and he is currently third for tackles won [42] in the Spanish top-flight so far this season.
