Arsenal rely on Tottenham to secure Jules Kounde transfer from Barcelona
Arsenal’s pursuit of Barcelona defender Jules Kounde hinges on whether North London rivals Tottenham are willing to sell Pedro Porro to the Catalan club.
Mikel Arteta is desperate to recruit an experienced defender this summer to provide vital cover for William Saliba.
The French centre-back is expected to miss the start of the Premier League season due to a back injury sustained at the World Cup.
Aston Villa interest and Barcelona shift
The Gunners initially identified Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa as a primary defensive target.
However, a prohibitive £60m valuation and rival interest from Liverpool forced the Emirates club to pivot their attention towards Kounde.
The France international offers valuable tactical flexibility, capable of operating comfortably at both right-back and centre-half.
Securing the 25-year-old remains complicated, as he currently has four years remaining on his contract and is reportedly reluctant to leave Spain.
Tottenham’s role in the transfer chain
Barcelona are willing to consider a lucrative sale to fund a revamp of their defensive line under manager Hansi Flick.
The Spanish giants have already loaned Ronald Araujo to Liverpool and view Tottenham’s Porro as their ideal replacement for Kounde.
This development leaves Arsenal heavily reliant on their fiercest rivals sanctioning a departure for the highly-rated full-back.
Porro recently committed his long-term future to Spurs by signing a new contract that runs until June 2031.
De Zerbi determined to keep Porro
Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi has made it completely clear he has no intention of losing the World Cup winner.
“Pedro is a very important player for us, who has consistently shown his ability to influence matches in both defensive and attacking situations.”
“As well as his technical quality, I also love his mentality. Every day he wants to work, to learn and to improve, and these are the characteristics that help players reach the highest level.”
Any failure to land a defender would compound a frustrating window for Arsenal, who have already missed out on Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior.
Despite capturing Bruno Guimaraes for £75m, Arteta confirmed the club remains actively searching for squad improvements.
“If we have the right player in the market to make us much better, we are very looking forward to it.”