The interest comes as Barcelona's window shifts up a gear on multiple fronts. Karim Adeyemi's move from Borussia Dortmund is all but done, while Ferran Torres now looks set to depart for PSG, freeing up space and funds that could, in theory, extend to Kounde's situation too — though there's no indication yet that a Kounde sale is something Barcelona are actively pursuing rather than merely open to.
Kounde, currently starring for France at the World Cup, has been on Bayern's radar for some time, but the Bundesliga champions have a squad problem to solve before any move becomes realistic: they already have Sacha Boey and Nathaniel Brown among their full-back options, with Brown having recently arrived to cover the left side.
Freeing up room for Kounde on the right would most likely require selling Boey first, and Bayern are far from alone in admiring the Frenchman — Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City have also been credited with interest given his versatility across the back four.
Barcelona are not believed to consider Kounde untouchable given the financial realities of the squad they are building, and would reportedly be open to a substantial offer. The 27-year-old's contract runs until 2030, giving the club no urgency to sell, and there is no suggestion he is agitating for an exit.
Since arriving from Sevilla in 2022, Kounde has made himself close to indispensable at Camp Nou, filling in capably at both centre-back and right-back and racking up close to 190 appearances along the way.
For now, Bayern Munich's interest remains at the exploratory stage rather than anything more concrete, contingent on business elsewhere in their own squad falling into place first. But with Barcelona continuing to reshape their squad around Flick's priorities this summer, Kounde's situation is one worth watching closely as the market moves toward its final weeks.