Romanian right-back Andrei Rațiu, currently playing for Rayo Vallecano in La Liga, received bad news immediately after the Spanish Cup final between Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Barcelona won heroically with a score of 3-2 after extra time, and the decisive goal came in the 116th minute, scored by Jules Kounde, the player for whom Rațiu could have come to Barcelona to provide competition on the right flank.
But the match in Seville convinced President Juan Laporta to extend the Frenchman's contract, pleased with his excellent performances this season. According to the Catalan press, through the newspaper El Nacional, the president of Barcelona has decided to speed up discussions with Kounde, whose contract expires on June 30, 2027.
The defender is being heavily pursued by Arsenal, but most likely will extend his contract with the Spanish Cup champions.
The 26-year-old right-back scored the winning goal in the 116th minute with a perfect long-range shot, following a mistake made by Brahim Diaz, who passed weakly to Luka Modric.
D.A.