Chelsea have enquired about the situation of France's Jules Koundé, the Barcelona star who has started only five matches this season.

Sport newspaper reported that Koundé has lost much of the prominent role he once played. Now he must fight for a place at right-back.

Eric García's switch to the position, the emergence of Xavi Espart and Barcelona's hunt for a number of right-backs have all left Koundé in a tricky spot.

Transfer market expert Matteo Moretto addressed Koundé's situation on DAZN, naming Chelsea among the clubs keenest on a move.

"There is a club in the Premier League, in particular, that has already begun studying the figures and enquiring about the possibility of completing the deal, to find out whether signing him is feasible from a financial standpoint, and that club is Chelsea," Moretto explained.

This would not be Chelsea's first attempt to land the French defender. They chased him in 2022 before Barcelona beat them to it, signing the player from Sevilla for 60 million euros.

Bayern Munich also circled the French defender over the summer and could come back in during the winter window.

According to Moretto, selling Koundé could hand the Catalan club the funds to strengthen other positions in the squad.

"Koundé may be one of the players from whom Barcelona could achieve a financial return by selling them, in order to sign perhaps an out-and-out striker or another right-back," he noted.

Should Koundé leave, Barcelona will have to work out how to replace him. One name already on their list is Tottenham's Pedro Porro.

Koundé's future, then, is one to watch over the coming months. His contract with Barcelona runs until 2030 and there is still plenty of time for him to win back the role he has lost. Chelsea's interest pushes him back to the front of the transfer market, with Pedro Porro a strong option to fill the gap if he goes.