The financial loose ends of the deal that brought Jules Kounde to Catalonia in 2022 are still being tied up, and one specific performance trigger is about to hit the ledger again. While most of the focus at the Ciutat Esportiva is on the Frenchman’s recovery from a hamstring issue so he can play in critical matches for FC Barcelona, the staff of Sevilla are also tracking his return for a different reason.
As part of the original €50 million transfer, Sevilla negotiated a yearly bonus that pays out
every time Kounde serves as a fixture in the lineup. According to Diario AS, the defender has met the requirements in each of his first three seasons. Despite his recent trip to the treatment room, he is only a few appearances away from making it four for four.
The mechanics of the deal are tied to a 60% appearance threshold. Specifically, Kounde has to play at least 45 minutes in 60% of the club’s total official matches for the season. He has already notched 34 such games this term.
The final “magic number” depends on how far Hansi Flick can take this team in Europe. Estadio Deportivo notes that even if Barça reaches the UEFA Champions League final, bringing the season total to 60 matches, Kounde only needs to feature in two more games to trigger the payout. Should the club exit the competition earlier, the total game count drops. That means he might have already done enough to satisfy the clause without playing another minute.
The only real hurdle is the injury Kounde picked up during the Copa del Rey semifinals against Atlético de Madrid. It kept him out of the recent match against his former club, but the medical staff expects him back for the final stretch of the domestic season. Two more starts in May or June could be more than enough to bridge the gap.
For Sevilla, this is far from a minor detail. The club’s economic struggles have been widely reported, making these incremental €2.5 million injections vital for their accounts. This arrangement is said to remain active through next season, as well.
