Pranav Nair
Sevilla unwilling to compromise on asking price for Manchester United transfer target Jules Kounde
According to Spanish publication AS (h/t The Express), Manchester United may have suffered a blow in their pursuit of Sevilla and France star Jules Kounde.
The Red Devils are in the market for a new central defender and had earmarked Kounde as one of their top choices. The 22-year-old could very well end up staying at Sevilla for another season.
If anything we have rivals Manchester City to thank for Sevilla’s stand. Pep Guardiola’s side was keen on landing the defender last summer but failed to do so despite their £50million-plus bid for his services.
According to the report, Sevilla appears to know the talent they have on their hands and are unwilling to compromise on getting top dollar. Their director of football Monchi is determined not to sell the player on the cheap and is in no rush to listen to offers below what City put forward last summer.
City instead signed Ruben Dias last summer and the Portuguese international has gone on to have a telling impact on their team. As things stand, they are not expected to return for Kounde this summer.
Despite that, United will still have to contend with interest from Chelsea and Arsenal for the French international. Kounde’s release clause stands at an impressive £69million – a steep ask given the current financial situation.
Kounde was Sevilla’s club-record signing, having joined from Bordeaux in 2019. It is fair to say that the Spaniards sure got their money’s worth. While they will not stand in his way if he so chooses to leave this summer, it will only be at a price that the Spaniards set.
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At 22, Kounde is an immense talent who will only get better with age. Whether United will eventually fold and do what it takes to land him remains to be seen. If his track record is anything to go by, we will be getting our money’s worth.
