Barcelona reaches agreement to sign Koundé from Sevilla

BARCELONA, Spain: Xavi Hernández can scratch the last item off his wish list after Barcelona struck a deal for France defender Jules Koundé on Thursday. Barcelona said that Sevilla agreed to transfer the highly touted center back for a still-undisclosed sum. The deal will be complete after the 23-year-old Koundé undergoes a medical exam.

Koundé, who also drew interest from Chelsea, will provide Barcelona’s coach a skilled and versatile defender as the team try to transition beyond a backline still led by the 35-year-old Gerard Piqué. The France international will join Ronald Araújo (23) and Éric García (21) as Barcelona’s young core of central defenders playing with Piqué. Koundé would be Barcelona’s third major signing after they sold 25 percent of their Spanish league television rights for the next 25 years as they try to both claw their way out of staggering debt and rebuild a competitive team after winning nothing last season.

Xavi had asked club president Joan Laporta for a top striker and a quality defender to get his squad back to challenging for titles. Already this month Barcelona secured the transfers of striker Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich and winger Raphinha from Leeds for around a combined 110 million euros ($111 million). Spanish sports media reported that the Koundé deal could cost Barcelona another 50 million euros ($50.8 million).