Fabrizio Romano revealed that Barcelona are interested in signing William Saliba before Kounde deal.
Transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano revealed on his YouTube channel that had Barcelona not signed Jules Kounde in the summer, they had their eyes on Arsenal defender William Saliba.
Despite signing Andreas Christensen on a free transfer fairly early in the window, the Catalans were still looking for defensive reinforcements in the summer.
And Kounde had been the Blaugrana’s primary objective, with Xavi and company working tirelessly to secure his signing. Although the 23-year-old was ultimately signed by Barcelona, there was a time when it appeared Chelsea would sign the Frenchman before them.
At that moment, Barça started to compile a list of Kounde’s possible replacements in case they lost control of him. Additionally, according to Romano, the Catalans were contemplating William Saliba of Arsenal as a potential Plan B candidate.
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The French star had recently returned to Arsenal following a very productive loan stint at Olympique Marseille. While AC Milan was rumored to be interested in him as well, the Ligue 1 team tried to sign him permanently.
It turns out that Barcelona had Saliba on its radar as well. However, the Blaugrana never brought up the 21-year-old because Kounde was their top goal.
According to Romano, even if an offer had been made for Saliba, Arsenal would have rejected it since they considered him to be a crucial component of their plans for the upcoming campaign.
Saliba has established himself as one of the premier center backs in the Premier League this year, and his contribution to Arsenal’s rise to the top of the English standings cannot be understated.
Kounde, meanwhile, has succeeded since his arrival at Camp Nou, whether playing right or center back. The Frenchman just sustained an injury while serving his country, but things are looking well for his recuperation.
