Jules Kounde’s flexibility offers Barcelona a new defensive solution

Hansi Flick is testing Jules Kounde at centre-back in training ahead of Barcelona’s meeting with Valencia, as the manager looks for internal answers to his team’s limited defensive options.

Barcelona ended their association with Ronald Araujo and Alvaro Cortes during the summer but did not sign replacements. That has left Pau Cubarsi, Gerard Martin and Andreas Christensen as Flick’s natural centre-back choices.

Eric Garcia and Kounde can also operate in that position, although both may be needed elsewhere. Eric Garcia could be required in midfield as well as at right-back, while Kounde’s strongest performances for Barcelona in recent seasons have largely come on the right side of defence.

According to Sport, Flick has used the France international in central defence during recent training sessions before the Valencia fixture. The move is not a radical tactical experiment because Kounde is familiar with the role and has considerable experience there. Its timing, however, makes it noteworthy.

Barcelona want to build a squad capable of competing across every competition, making defensive versatility especially important over a long campaign. Kounde’s ability to switch between right-back and centre-back could give Flick greater scope to rotate his players without significantly altering the team’s overall structure.

That flexibility may also prove valuable in matches where Barcelona require greater physical strength, quicker recovery runs or a defender capable of handling one-on-one situations in central areas.

Kounde did not begin the season as an automatic first-choice player, raising questions about the way Flick intends to use him. That does not necessarily mean his importance has diminished. Instead, his ability to perform at a high level in two positions could become one of his greatest strengths.

Players who can cover multiple roles are particularly valuable when injuries, suspensions and a congested fixture schedule begin to place greater demands on a squad. For Kounde, the immediate challenge is to rediscover his best form and force his way back into the starting line-up, regardless of the position he occupies.

Flick values defenders who can cope with attacking pressure and large spaces behind the defensive line. Those requirements suit Kounde, particularly because of his pace and his ability to defend away from his own penalty area.

The central question is whether the French defender can return to the level that made him one of the world’s most promising defenders during his time at Sevilla and in the early part of his Barcelona career.

The final decision rests with Flick. He must determine whether Kounde will partner Cubarsi at centre-back against Valencia, and how the defender performs if he is given the opportunity in that position.

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