French football expert Jonathan Johnson has responded to the recent Arsenal transfer rumours involving Barcelona and France defender Jules Kounde.
Kounde has recently been linked with the Gunners, but Johnson is unconvinced that there is much to the stories, particularly as Barcelona no longer need to cash in on players.
Writing exclusively in his CaughtOffside column on Substack, Johnson also suggested that Arsenal will probably now see their defence as having decent depth, even with the injury to Jurrien Timber.
Some Arsenal fans would surely want to see Kounde coming in, or someone similar, but Johnson’s comments aren’t particularly encouraging. Barca fans, by contrast, will surely be relieved that this key player is surely staying put.
Discussing the Kounde Arsenal links, Johnson said: “There was speculation surrounding Jules Kounde’s future at Barcelona earlier this summer, and with Jurrien Timber’s injury at Arsenal, links have resurfaced about Mikel Arteta possibly trying to bring the Frenchman to the Emirates Stadium.
“However, I would be surprised if the Gunners rush back into the market despite this setback. The defence seems fairly well stacked and although Kounde is a quality and versatile player, he has a price tag to match and Arsenal have already spent a fair bit this summer.
“It’s also important to take into consideration that Barca’s need to raise funds is not quite as pressing as it was when the rumours originally surfaced. If Arteta was to move for someone, I think that might have come had Gabriel moved on. Defensive depth is pretty impressive for the Gunners right now and adding Kounde to that brings long-term complications despite short-term solutions.
“Obviously, the situation is not ideal once Europe comes into play, but Arteta does have other players he can call upon without launching a tricky offensive for the final week of this summer’s window.”
Arsenal will be one of the favourites for the Premier League title this season, even with Timber’s injury, but Mikel Arteta would surely do well to bring in at least one more player before next week’s deadline.