The transfer window season is well underway now even Chelsea have awoken from their slumber. £222m of spending last season has preceded a few months in pursuit of Erling Haaland this summer. No sign of making an actual signing in sight until news broke that Sevilla and Chelsea had opened talks for Jules Koundé as the main target for a new centre-back at Stamford Bridge. Going the other way at least according to initial reports was Kurt Zouma, but there are murmurs his eyes are being turned by West Ham’s interest in him, preferring to stay in London than move to Spain and learn a new language.
The 22-year-old joined Sevilla from Bordeaux in the summer of 2019 after two years in the French side’s first team since the age of 18-years-old. He hit the ground running in Seville, quickly becoming one of the elite defenders in the division within a year of joining. He joins a star-studded list of French ball-playing centre-backs plying their trade in Europe’s top five leagues. This scout report will look into why the Paris native has gained so many plaudits.
In this tactical analysis, we will cover his role at Sevilla, where he excels, where he is limited, and where he might fit into Thomas Tuchel’s system.
Player profile
Koundé began his playing career in 2004 as a six-year-old with Fraternelle de Landiras, a local boys club with who he keeps in touch with to this day he is the cover star of their Facebook page. A brief stint at Cérons followed before he joined FC La Brède in 2010, with who he would stay for three years before being spotted by Girondins Bourdeaux’s youth scouts. It is a journey typical of many professional footballers, but that makes it no less arduous and a credit to his determination.
He joined a team that just finished 7th in Ligue 1, as well as winning the Coupe de France, much better than the current financially-stricken Bourdeaux of 2021. He made his league debut in January 2018 versus Troyes a game Bourdeaux would keep a clean sheet and win 1-0. From that point, Koundé would play all but two matches until the end of the season. It would precede a 37-game season with the French club and a €25m move to Sevilla.
Standing at 5’10” / 178cm, he transitioned comfortably for a defender who had only played his football in France up until that point. You’ll note that 5’10” is quite short for a centre-back, and it is quite rare to have shorter defenders excel in the Premier League, but it’s not impossible. Potential future teammate and club captain César Azpilicueta has played some of his best football as a right centre-back in a back three. Koundé, with his diverse skill set, could easily do the same.
Jules Koundés player profile created by the wonderful Sathish Prasad (@SathishPrasadVT on Twitter).
5’10” but not physically inadequate
Koundé potentially joins a reasonable list of players who performed well against Chelsea in European competition and were purchased by the Blues. Mohamed Salah, Kevin De Bruyne, Hakim Ziyech, Willian, the list goes on. He played right-back in that fixture, but his best position, despite his height, is at centre-back. He doesn’t struggle tremendously in the air, and he is utterly dominant in his ground duels.
