Pranav Nair
Transfer News: Manchester United make Jules Kounde a priority signing
According to Grand Hotel Calciomercato (h/t Sport Witness), Manchester United have earmarked Jules Kounde as their top centre-back target in the summer transfer window.
The French youngster has been in excellent form for Sevilla and is a regular for Julian Lopetegui’s side. He has made 47 appearances for them this season, scoring four goals and assisting one. (h/t Transfermarkt)
The Red Devils are already in touch with Sevilla regarding a potential deal. The Spaniards are seeking at least €65m for the player, something United are not willing to pay.
As things stand, talks appear to be continuing. United for their part bare attempting to get them to lower their asking price for the 22-year-old.
Kounde is an extremely promising player who appears to have a bright future ahead of him. He was part of the Sevilla side that knocked United out of the Europa League last season.
The defender has already represented France at the youth level in the Under-19 and Under-21 stages. Whether he will get a maiden call up for the European Championships remains to be seen.
Alternatives ready
Despite their interest in Kounde, United are preparing a list of targets to fall back to if the pursuit of the Frenchman fails.
Those on the list include Leicester City’s Wesley Fofana and Atalanta’s Cristian Romero. While they are both good players, it can be argued that they still lag behind Kounde in terms of current ability.
Thaty being said, Fofana has shown that he has what it takes to compete at the top level. With Premier League experience to boot, he would be a worthy addition.
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Both Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly struggled against Liverpool yesterday. With Harry Maguire out injured, our defence lacks in terms of quality and leadership.
Whether we will land Kounde or settle for an alternative remains to be seen. United cannot afford to leave the issue unaddressed this summer.
