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Barcelona confirm agreement to sign Kounde from Sevilla

Barcelona’s busy summer will continue with Jules Kounde’s arrival from Sevilla.

Barcelona announced Thursday that they reached an agreement in principle with Sevilla, adding that the French center-back’s impending arrival is contingent on him passing a medical and signing a contract.

Barcelona will pay Sevilla €50 million plus add-ons, according to The Guardian’s Fabrizio Romano.

It’s also understood that Kounde will put pen to paper on a long-term contract that will keep him at the Camp Nou until 2027.

Kounde will become Barcelona’s fifth signing of the summer following the arrivals of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Franck Kessie, and Andreas Christensen.

He was initially linked with a blockbuster transfer to Chelsea before Barcelona swooped in with a bid to keep the 23-year-old in Spain. Barcelona also beat Chelsea for the right to sign Brazilian winger Raphinha from Leeds United earlier this summer.

Kounde, who joined Sevilla from Bordeaux in 2019, made 32 league appearances for the La Liga outfit last season.

Soccer

Report: Barcelona outwit Chelsea again to sign Sevilla's Kounde

Barcelona have outmaneuvered Chelsea once again.

Weeks after beating the Blues to the signing of Brazilian winger Raphinha, the Blaugrana reached an agreement Wednesday to sign French defender Jules Kounde from Sevilla, according to The Guardian’s Fabrizio Romano.

Barcelona will pay around €50 million plus add-ons, Romano reports.

Chelsea reportedly believed they had a £55-million deal in place for the center-back, but Barcelona responded this week by hijacking the negotiations. The Catalans apparently agreed to personal terms with the 23-year-old before striking a deal with Sevilla.

Kounde is now expected to be Barcelona’s fifth summer signing after Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, Franck Kessie, and Andreas Christensen.

Romano reports the La Liga giants are also in talks to sign Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta.

Barcelona, who carried more than €1 billion in debt as recently as last year, boosted their coffers this summer by trading away 25% of future TV revenue for an immediate cash injection of around €525 million. The club also received a €595-million loan from investment bank Goldman Sachs last August to restructure some of its debt.

Chelsea may yet welcome the opportunity to walk away from the deal for Kounde, with manager Thomas Tuchel reportedly skeptical the 5-foot-10 defender would thrive in the Premier League.

Even after signing Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli, the English side still needs defensive reinforcements. It lost Christensen and Antonio Rudiger when their contracts expired at the end of June and missed out on Matthijs de Ligt, who left Juventus for Bayern Munich.

NFL

Jovial Rodgers mimics Adams, praises Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. — When Aaron Rodgers reported to training camp almost exactly a year ago, he aired many of his grievances with the Green Bay Packers during a news conference that lasted 32 minutes.

The reigning two-time MVP’s mood was quite different Wednesday after the first practice of this year’s camp.

Rodgers poked fun at former teammate Davante Adams, joked that without the star receiver the Packers now are a defensive team, said he plays the game for “love” and shared an anecdote that illustrates just how much things have changed in the organization.

Adams, who was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in March at his request, recently discussed his transition from Rodgers to quarterback Derek Carr, telling CBS Sports: “Anytime you change quarterbacks from Hall of Famer to Hall of Famer … it’s going to be a little bit of an adjustment.”

2 Related

So when Rodgers was asked about

Soccer

Report: Chelsea to sign Koulibaly from Napoli for €40M

Chelsea reached an agreement Wednesday to sign Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly for €40 million, The Guardian’s Fabrizio Romano reports.

Koulibaly reportedly agreed to terms on a five-year contract with Chelsea worth €10 million per season.

The 31-year-old only had a year remaining on his contract with Napoli.

The Blues sealed the deal for Koulibaly amid interest from Juventus, who reportedly held talks with the player’s representatives last week. Chelsea reportedly targeted Juventus center-back Matthijs de Ligt before making a move for Koulibaly.

The west London side needed a key signing in defense following the departure of Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger. Koulibaly will add speed to manager Thomas Tuchel’s backline and compensate for 37-year-old Thiago Silva’s diminishing pace.

Tuchel wants to sign another central defender as well. The Guardian’s Jacob Steinberg reports a move for Manchester City’s Nathan Ake is expected to happen in the coming weeks. City are reportedly demanding at least £40 million for the Dutch center-back.

Ake and Koulibaly would form a dynamic three-man defense alongside Silva. As composed passers of the ball, Ake and Koulibaly can play out from the back and resist pressure from opponents. Koulibaly is also an aerial threat – a strength he shares with Silva – and excellent at timing challenges.

The Senegalese defender joined Napoli from Genk in 2014, making more than 300 appearances for the Partenopei. He became one of Europe’s preeminent center-backs in that time and played a key role in Maurizio Sarri’s popular possession-based system.

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