Makoundou returns to the azulgrana agenda

There are names that never disappear from the folders of the sports management offices. Yoan Makoundou is one of them in the blue and maroon structure. As reported by Encestando, Barça has once again focused on the French interior player from Monaco, marking the third occasion in just sixteen months that the Catalan club explores the possibility of having the 2.07 meters tall player.

Previous attempts did not bear fruit. In the summer of 2025, Makoundou was considered an option to strengthen the blue and maroon frontcourt, but his departure from Monaco ended with a loan move to Turkey. Subsequently, in the final stretch of the last season, he was again considered a temporary reinforcement for the team, but ultimately the Chinese market took him. The Frenchman completed the season at Fujian with outstanding performances, averaging 21 points, 13 rebounds, and six blocks in his appearances.

Now, after returning to Monaco, the circumstances seem more favorable. The Monegasque club, relegated to the EuroCup, is in the process of restructuring and disposing of assets, potentially facilitating the operation.

The market context and the search for profiles

Barça's persistence finds an explanation in the current transfer market landscape. At this stage of August, reliable players are scarce in the European market. Sports management offices have gradually turned their attention to the G League and the NBA as sources of talent, although these markets entail a known risk: players without FIBA experience often face difficulties adapting to European basketball.

Makoundou represents the opposite case. He is a purely European product who has developed his career in the French youth system and is familiar with European basketball from the start. This characteristic makes him a less risky adaptation alternative, a key element when competitions are about to begin.

The technical profile sought by Sekulic

The technical fit is remarkable. At 25 years old, Makoundou is an athletic interior player with a good direct blocking game, enough mobility to play the power forward position, the ability to face the basket, and the skill to grab rebounds from the periphery. He is exactly the dynamic profile sought by Aleksandar Sekulic, the coach who has built the Barça project this summer with an emphasis on speed and defensive aggressiveness.

His competitive history adds credibility. He was named the Best Young Player of the Basketball Champions League in 2021 while playing for Cholet. Subsequently, he won both the league and the French cup with Monaco in 2023. His accumulated experience in high-level competitions such as the EuroLeague, the EuroCup, and the Adriatic League, where he played on loan at Buducnost, positions him as a versatile and experienced player in different European contexts.

The situation in the blue and maroon frontcourt

There is a defensive need in the blue and maroon structure. The current frontcourt consists of Josh Nebo, Olivier Nkamhoua, Olek Balcerowski, Toko Shengelia, and Tosan Evbuomwan. It is a nearly entirely renewed block during this transfer window, but it could be short of resources if the season extends across three competitions simultaneously.

A mobile interior player like Makoundou would complete the rotation without altering the team's overall structure. His versatility would allow Barça to have additional options without compromising the ongoing sports project. For now, it is merely a expressed interest, not a closed or advanced negotiation.

However, the timing has never been so favorable. With Monaco in the divestment process and the European market becoming more restricted as August progresses, the conditions for a potential operation seem to uniquely converge. As the saying goes, on the third try, luck could finally favor Barça.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Makoundou regresa a la agenda azulgrana