Kounde: How Xavi's Call Convinced Me To Join Barca

Barcelona new signing, Jules Kounde has revealed that his decision to join the team was made easy when he got a call from manager, Xavi.

The former Sevilla defender was all set to join Chelsea before Xavi’s intervention.

Kounde told Barca TV: “I liked the conversation we had. Time flew by and it’s a great sign when you speak so naturally.

“He thought that I’d fit very well into his system. Above all, we talk about football, it is what I like to talk about the most, and on top of that, if it is with the coach, with Xavi, who as a player was one of the best.

“The coach wants to press up and leave a lot of space behind you. Every time the ball is lost, we have to press and whoever is closest to the ball has to press, and I like this a lot because a big part of my game is intuition and anticipation to try and get an advantage against the striker.

“I spoke a bit with Ousmane when I knew that it was more or less clear that Barça was my favourite option. It was really because of the ambitious project and the very good dynamics. Last year they had a brutal second round and then it was clear to me when I felt the interest of the club and the coach.”