By Betsefy
Barcelona have still not managed to register their latest signing Jules Kounde, with the centre-back again absent from the squad against Real Sociedad on Sunday night.
The Catalan outfit were able to register Andreas Christensen, Franck Kessie, Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha ahead of their La Liga opener with Rayo Vallecano, and all four players were involved in the goalless draw.
The club were also able to register the contract renewals of Ousmane Dembele and Sergi Roberto, but Kounde remains unavailable for selection, with Barcelona allegedly needing to sell a couple of players in order to address the issue.
Head coach Xavi said during his pre-match press conference that he was hopeful of having Kounde available for this match, but the centre-back will again miss out.
Memphis Depay and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang continue to be linked with moves away from the club, but the pair are in the squad for the clash with Real Sociedad.
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“The transfer window is open until [Sept. 1] and we don’t know what will happen. At the moment, [Aubameyang] is our player and I am counting on him. For me, he’s an important player, but we will see what happens,” Xavi told reporters when asked about the attacking duo.
“For now, neither [Aubameyang nor Memphis] has left. If there’s an offer for one of them, we will see how the squad is and decide what to do.”
Chelsea are believed to be pushing to sign Aubameyang, while Juventus are hopeful of signing Memphis on a free transfer.
Sergio Busquets is a notable absentee from the latest Barcelona squad, with the midfielder suspended, while Sergino Dest has also been left out amid the speculation surrounding his future.
Dest continues to be linked with Manchester United, with the Red Devils said to be keen to bring in a new right-back before the end of the transfer window.
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“Being honest, we wanted to sign Cesar Azpilicueta [from Chelsea] and we couldn’t, so that’s the situation,” Xavi told reporters ahead of this match when asked about the right-back situation.
“But we do have players to provide cover there. Ronald [Araujo] did well there last weekend, Sergi Roberto can play there and [Jules Kounde] can as well in case of an emergency.”
When asked directly about Dest, Xavi said: “He knows what the situation is.”
Frenkie de Jong is also in the squad, with the midfielder still at Camp Nou even though he has been heavily linked with an exit over the last few months.
Despite agreeing a deal with Real Madrid for Casemiro, Man United are allegedly still targeting a move for the Netherlands international, while Chelsea are also admirers of the midfielder.
Full squad:
Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Inaki Pena, Arnau Tenas; Gerard Pique, Ronald Araujo, Andreas Christensen, Jordi Alba, Eric Garcia, Alejandro Balde; Pedri, Miralem Pjanic, Franck Kessie, Sergi Roberto, Frenkie de Jong, Gavi, Pablo Torre; Ousmane Dembele, Robert Lewandowski, Ansu Fati, Ferran Torres, Memphis Depay, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Raphinha
