Barcelona consider selling Jules Koundé to fund Lionel Messi move - report

FC Barcelona could sell Jules Koundé to fund a move for Lionel Messi and other players next summer, according to a new report. It might be perhaps surprising to sell him, as he has started many games since being signed from Sevilla FC. But it stands to reason that if the Catalans want to make a good profit, they may need to sell a starter rather than a bench player.

Ferran Torres and Ansu Fati are said to be on the transfer list already, but Barcelona could even sell Raphinha, who is a starter, to get some much needed cash.

Koundé is a young talented player and Barcelona would want to at least recoup the investment they made when they signed him. On the other hand, Andreas Christensen, who came for free, has done very well. For that reason, the Frenchman has played a lot of games at right-back, rather than his preferred place, in the center of defense.

If Barcelona feel they can get by with Ronald Araujo and Christensen as starting centerbacks, and maybe another centerback signing or Eric García for depth, then that makes Koundé hypothetically expandable. Speaking of which, García himself is said to be on the transfer list. So, possibly, both could leave.

The other two names that are mentioned as possible departures next transfer window are veterans Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba. However, some say that they might stay due to their long associations with Messi.