"I would like to have Nico Williams as teammate"

Jules Kounde was one of the latest additions to Barcelona's pre-season training camp in the United States. There, the French centre-back spoke about one of the topics of the moment, the possible signing of Nico Williams for the Catalan side.

The defender knows first-hand what it's like to face the Athletic winger, so he didn't hesitate to praise him: "He's a very good player. He had a great European Championship. Good players are always welcome. Let's see what the club does and if he can do it or not, but there is no doubt that he would be a great reinforcement. If he can, we would be delighted."

"The squad is doing well as is being shown in pre-season. The youngsters are responding, but we could do with some reinforcements," he added.

Kounde also opened the door to continue playing at right-back with Flick: "I've already told him that I'll play wherever he needs me most. It's true that I used to prefer to play at centre-back, but last year I took a step forward and now I like to play on the wing. I'm also playing there for the national team. We'll see what happens.

"Not on a tactical level in defence. He wants to press high like Xavi, and to be dominant. Maybe in terms of intensity, now the training sessions are more intense. The coach insists a lot on that aspect," he continued.

The defender also spoke about the team's hopes for Lamine Yamal: "It's clear that he has grown a lot. He is already a differential player, but he is young and must continue to grow. Listen and learn". Finally, Kounde spoke of the team's objectives: "At Barcelona we always want to win and win titles".

 

August 5, 2024