Barcelona are reported to be open to selling Jules Kounde should offers approach the club’s valuation, with Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City credited with interest by Mundo Deportivo. The 27-year-old has been linked to the three Premier League sides and City’s pursuit is described as particularly well established.

Deco, Barcelona’s sporting director, revealed last summer that Pep Guardiola’s side “asked us if Kounde was available,” and the club’s response at that time was simple: “No.” The latest coverage suggests Barcelona’s position may have shifted as they weigh financial priorities.

When fit, Kounde is a regular under Hansi Flick. The quick fullback started 25 of La Liga’s first 26 matches this season before a muscular injury forced him to miss the entirety of March. Mundo Deportivo report that Barcelona, in need of funds, would consider any bid in the region of $92.3 million (€80 million).

Selling Kounde would not leave Flick without options. Eric García has provided versatile cover across the backline, including at right back, while Masia graduate Xavi Espart earned his senior debut during Kounde’s absence. João Cancelo’s continued presence in Spain has also been mooted as a way to mitigate the loss of Kounde.

Barcelona are widely expected to prioritise signings of a striker and a centre back this summer. Targets mentioned publicly are likely to command significant fees, with the acquisition of Julián Alvarez noted as an example of the cost involved. That context helps explain why a substantial offer for Kounde would be difficult for Barcelona to ignore.

From the English perspective, Manchester City’s search for a right back last summer was fruitless. Matheus Nunes has adapted from a midfield reputation—having shrugged off Guardiola’s barb about a lack of intelligence to play in midfield—to flourish as an overlapping fullback this season, but City could still seek a more orthodox right back.

Chelsea and Liverpool possess quality options at right back, but selection can be complicated. Reece James has rammed home his committment to the Blues with a recent contract extension only to then succumb to the sort of hamstring injury which has plagued so much of his career. Malo Gusto serves as a suitable deputy and is far less prone to fitness lapses.

Whether any Premier League suitor will meet Barcelona’s reported valuation remains to be seen.

Sergio Agüero has been forced to suspend his post-retirement senior appearances after sustaining a serious Achilles injury in an over-35 fixture. The 37-year-old was injured during a clash against River Plate in Argentina’s +35 Senior League Cup. His side went on to win 2–0, but Agüero had to leave the field after suffering what was described as a “heavy blow” to his left ankle.

Teammates and opponents helped Agüero from the pitch. He later posted a video to his Instagram story to explain the diagnosis. “I had an MRI and it was confirmed that I tore my [Achilles] tendon,” he Agüero revealed. “Tomorrow, I will start the tests and I will have to have surgery. There’s no other option. I want to thank all the boys from Independiente and also those from River who were worried.”

Following the operation, Agüero shared a smiling picture from his hospital bed. The injury now places his involvement in senior football on indefinite hold as he begins rehabilitation.

Since retiring from elite-level play, Agüero has remained active in alternative competitions. He has taken part in the Kings League, appearing on court in Spain in 2023, and his KRÜ FC team is competing in Kings League Mexico in 2026. Those appearances formed part of his attempt to return to the pitch in a different capacity.

Returning to full-sided matches for the club he supported as a child had been a clear ambition. Agüero left Independiente to join Atlético Madrid at the age of 18 and had always hoped to make a comeback there. A heart problem discovered when he was 33 curtailed plans that may otherwise have allowed him to extend his playing career beyond a two-year contract at Barcelona, so the chance to play in veterans’ fixtures carried personal significance. Playing veterans’ matches “isn’t quite the same,” but it helped make that dream a reality. Only days before rupturing his Achilles, he said: “I’m going to be around here, so I hope to keep adding games.”

Atlético Madrid are preparing a contract proposal that would elevate Julián Álvarez to the club’s highest-paid player as a response to reported interest from Arsenal and Barcelona.

According to MARCA, Atlético are inclined to convert a current uncertainty into certainty by offering Álvarez a net salary of $11.5 million per year, up from his present $8.1 million. That net figure is understood to translate to a gross sum in the region of $21.4 million annually, which would match the club’s top earner, Jan Oblak.

Talks have not formally begun, though Álvarez is believed to be aware of Atlético’s thinking. The Argentine finds himself in a position of power ahead of a potentially decisive summer transfer window. “Maybe yes, maybe no, you never know,” he helpfully added.

Arsenal and Barcelona have both been linked, but their financial circumstances differ markedly in the report. Arsenal, backed by Premier League resources, recently made Bukayo Saka the club’s highest earner with a wage equivalent to $20.7 million a year. The Gunners are reportedly obliged to sell this summer to remain compliant with Premier League financial rules after multiple years of heavy outlays and limited offsetting income. Since the 2021–22 campaign, only one club in world soccer has recorded a larger net spend than Arsenal.

Barcelona’s position has been more constrained. The club have been described as so cash-strapped they removed free breakfasts for academy players in recent years. President Joan Laporta inherited significant financial problems stemming from mismanagement and the COVID-19 pandemic, but Barcelona have used palancas to channel available funds back into the playing squad. As Johan Cruyff once said: “The money should be on the pitch. Not in the bank.”

That approach has funded Robert Lewandowski’s sizable salary, reportedly around $27.6 million. Lewandowski is out of contract this summer and is set to move on, creating a potential squad and accounting vacancy that the reports suggest Álvarez could fill if Barcelona pursue him.

The immediate outcome remains uncertain, but Atlético’s reported plan is clear: use a substantial pay rise to retain Álvarez and deter rival suitors.