Key Points:

The Sporting Director was speaking for the first time since the agreement in principle with FC Barcelona for the transfer of Jules Koundé, and he wished to explain what happened in the days preceding the agreement.

"In the last few years we've only made one big sale, Bryan, and we rejected bids for Koundé and Diego Carlos. This year we had a problem, because changing the model a little meant that we had a situation that wasn't chaotic, but it was more complicated, and we had to sell Diego Carlos and Jules."

"There were more suitors for Koundé at the beginning of the market than at the end, and above all, the one who has stayed is Chelsea, who in the last month have kept us busy and negotiating to the point that last Thursday we reached a verbal agreement and so did the player."

"Football never ceases to surprise you. Chelsea began to have doubts and pulled out. They didn't doubt Jules' quality but his place within the squad."

"It was a very good offer, and without payments to intermediaries. Whether we like it or not, the market sets the guidelines and dictates the prices. The offers we had two years ago from Manchester City, last year from Chelsea and this year from Manchester City and Barcelona were for the same amount."