Barcelona could sell Chelsea transfer target in January, but another star is not moving

I’ve done some digging and thought it was important to clarify one or two of the Barcelona transfer rumours we’ve been hearing in the last week or so.

First up, it remains my understanding that the Catalan giants are under pressure to make some sales this January. As I previously reported, intermediaries have been sounding out potential suitors for both Alejandro Balde and Frenkie de Jong, but that’s not all.

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We can also add Jules Kounde to that list. I’ve previously been informed about Chelsea having a strong interest in the France international, but this did not lead to anything concrete in the summer.

It’s possible that the Blues explored this one but decided to focus on other options. It’s also my understanding that one key factor to keep in mind here is that Kounde, like Balde, is not desperate to leave Barca. It’s on the club’s side that some cutbacks need to be made, and they’re open to letting someone like Kounde go for the right price.

The Spain international already had interest from Saudi Pro League clubs in the summer, and he never engaged in any talks as he was fully focused on staying where he is, while he’s also seen as a key part of Hansi Flick’s project.

So for now, despite talk of Olmo being offered to the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal, I can say that there’s simply nothing happening there at all. There haven’t been any contacts, and a move is not considered likely at all. If something changes, I’ll let you know.

Bayern Munich were another name linked with Olmo, but Christian Falk has cleared that up in his column here.

So for now the situation remains the same – Balde, De Jong, and Kounde could be ones to watch on the market as Barca are looking to make sales this January. For now, nothing is advanced on any of these, and I’m not aware of any other likely candidates for the exit door.

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