Chelsea target Jules Kounde has revealed why he snubbed a move to Stamford Bridge despite agreeing on personal terms with the Blues.
Kounde has been a subject of discussion between Barcelona and Chelsea over the past month and the French defender has finally decided to pitch his tent with the Spanish giants after securing a €50m move to Camp Nou.
The former Sevilla defender claimed that Barcelona has more ambitious projects than Chelsea and Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez played a huge role in bringing him to the Camp Nou.
Speaking during his press conference, Kounde admitted that Chelsea was a genuine option.
“I had the chance to go to Chelsea, but I chose Barcelona because they have an ambitious project,” he said.
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“I waited for Barcelona’s agreement with Sevilla.
“I like playing in LaLiga and having played here for a while will make it easier for me, but you have to adapt to Barcelona’s style”.
“I am very happy and proud to come to this club, I am very grateful to the president, to the fans,” he said.
“They have shown me a lot of affection. All I have to do is train hard and win, of course.
“I will also try to speak Catalan in a few months.”
Xavi’s role in bringing Kounde to Barcelona
It seems that another factor in choosing Barcelona was the conversation that Kounde had with head coach Xavi Hernandez.
“I spoke with Xavi, the conversations were fluid,” the defender revealed.
“I felt his affection, he really wanted me to come, and this is important for me.
“He has asked me to do what I did at Sevilla, to bring the ball forward, to be aggressive.”
Kounde has been one of the best defenders in La Liga and his performances have attracted even clubs outside La Liga.
