Jules Kounde is the player Chelsea want most this January, and the player himself is said to be on board. The 27-year-old France international is reportedly eager to join Stamford Bridge, and Xabi Alonso is driving the move personally.

Kounde’s standing at Barcelona has shifted sharply this season. He has slipped behind Eric Garcia at right-back under Hansi Flick, with just five appearances and only one La Liga start to his name.

The numbers in reports vary. Chelsea are said to be ready to spend around €120m (£101m) on a Barcelona double package, according to Football365, while other outlets have put the combined fee closer to £107m. Barcelona want roughly €50m (£42.3m) for Kounde on his own, and Bayern Munich are also tracking the defender.

Flick wants him to stay

Flick is said to be against letting Kounde leave. Spanish reporting indicates the German coach wants to keep the Frenchman even as his minutes dry up.

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The Barcelona board is reportedly in a different place. The club has signaled it will look to sell in 2027, with a January departure also on the table, according to recent reports.

Kounde’s Barcelona record is not disputed. He signed from Sevilla in 2022, has made 194 appearances for the club, a club record for a French player, and his contract runs until 2030.

De Jong a tougher sell

The second strand of the plan looks harder to deliver. Frenkie de Jong is only just back after an MCL tear in his right knee suffered at the 2026 World Cup, an injury Barcelona confirmed would keep him out for months. He returned to the matchday squad against Real Betis on 17 October but started on the bench.

Barcelona are asking around €65m (£54m) for the Netherlands midfielder, who has had recurring fitness problems over the past year. Those injury concerns are the main reason the De Jong strand of the project is being treated as less likely than the pursuit of Kounde.

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Chelsea’s need in both departments is real. Reece James needs knee surgery and will miss several weeks, and the midfield lost its ball-progressor when Enzo Fernandez was sold to Manchester City in the summer.

The January transfer window opens on 1 January 2027.

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