The Saudi club Ittihad Jeddah is looking to strengthen its defense during the current summer transfer window by signing a high-profile player, especially after the club's defensive decline during the recently concluded 2023-2024 season, which led to the team conceding several goals and missing out on trophy opportunities.
Spanish newspaper "Sport" reported that Ittihad Jeddah is targeting a contract with French defender Jules Koundé from Barcelona during this summer transfer window. The club's management has opened negotiations with the Spanish club to find out the required price to complete the deal.
The newspaper confirmed that the Saudi giant aims to secure a reliable center-back, believing that Koundé could be a significant addition to the team. It also indicated that Ittihad has devised a strategy to convince Barcelona to part with their 25-year-old French defender, taking advantage of the large number of defenders in the Catalan squad, including Iñigo Martínez, Koundé, Araujo, Christensen, and Koundé.
The report clarifies that preliminary negotiations between Barcelona and Ittihad regarding the French defender are indeed taking place, but there has been no progress in the talks, especially with Koundé currently occupied with the French national team for the Euro 2024 competition.
Koundé previously admitted in earlier statements that he prefers playing as a center-back. He joined Barcelona two seasons ago from Sevilla for 50 million euros. Koundé's contract with Barcelona runs until 2027; however, he had already threatened to leave last summer due to his desire to play more minutes in his natural position, and Barcelona did not include him in the starting lineup.
