Arsenal and Chelsea get £42m transfer update as exit pathway emerges for Barcelona star

and may both face fresh competition if they want to sign Barcelona star Jules Kounde.

Both the Gunners and the Blues have been credited with an interest in signing Kounde over the last few weeks.

The France centre-back recently helped Barca win the Copa del Rey, with the Catalan side also four points clear at the top of La Liga, while they have a Champions League semi-final ahead of them, as well.

READ MORE:

READ MORE:

It was Kounde who scored the winning goal for Barcelona in extra-time against arch rivals Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey to win the final 3-2 in Seville.

Despite the versatile defender being a key part of Hansi Flick's squad, there continues to be rumours that he could move to the .

TBR Football has reported that Arsenal and Chelsea are still both interested in signing Kounde this summer.

In fact, the report claims that the Blues are showing the strongest interest in the 26-year-old and have remained in contact with the player's representatives since first expressing an interest in 2022.

The report goes on to state that Liverpool and Manchester City are also alongside Arsenal and Chelsea in weighing up the possibility of trying to sign Kounde this summer.

The defender moved to the Camp Nou in the summer of 2022 from Sevilla for a fee reported to be worth around £42million. It remains to be seen what price tag Barca would put on Kounde's signature three years down the line.

The France international - who can play at right-back as well as centre-back - has made 52 appearances for the La Liga giants this season, scoring four goals while providing eight assists.