Jules Koundé could become one of the players to watch during the next winter transfer window. Having fallen down the pecking order at FC Barcelona at the start of the season, the French international remains on Bayern Munich’s radar, with the German club potentially ready to make a move in January. PSG had also considered his profile in recent months.
Koundé’s situation has changed considerably at Barcelona. Once an undisputed starter, the 27-year-old Frenchman has begun the season with a much smaller role under Hansi Flick. Eric Garcia has moved ahead of him at right-back, while Koundé has started only twice in Barça’s opening eight matches. According to Spanish newspaper Sport, Bayern Munich are closely monitoring his situation and could consider making a move as early as January.
Bayern Munich considering Koundé as a replacement for Kim
Any potential move to Bayern would, however, depend on a major departure in Munich. Kim Min-jae is among the players who could leave, and if the South Korean defender were sold, Bayern could use the money raised to strengthen their back line. Koundé’s versatility, allowing him to play both at right-back and centre-back, is particularly attractive to the Bavarian club. The Frenchman is reportedly one of Bayern’s main options for January, alongside Benfica defender Tomas Araujo. For now, no concrete contact between Bayern and Koundé has been reported. The defender remains under contract with Barcelona until June 2030 and his priority is still to regain a regular starting place in Catalonia.
Koundé’s name is also familiar to PSG. As previously reported during the summer, his representatives reportedly informed several clubs that the French defender could be open to a new challenge, with PSG among the teams offered the opportunity to consider him. Paris appreciated his ability to cover two positions, providing another option at centre-back while also offering competition for Achraf Hakimi on the right. However, that was also one of the main obstacles to a deal: at 27, Koundé could hardly see himself joining PSG simply to become Hakimi’s backup, with the Moroccan considered a key player in Luis Enrique’s project. As a result, the Parisian option never really progressed during the summer.
The situation could nevertheless be worth monitoring ahead of January. With Koundé receiving less playing time at Barcelona and Bayern maintaining their interest, the French defender’s future is likely to become a major talking point again in the coming weeks.
