Manchester City will not sign Jules Kounde during the summer transfer window, despite the Daily Mail reporting that the Sevilla defender is being eyed as a potential alternative to SSC Napoli’s Kalidou Koulibaly.
It is suggested that Sky Blues chiefs have held discussions over the benefits of targeting Kounde during the current market, as efforts to bring Koulibaly to the Etihad Stadium remain at an impasse due to Napoli’s valuation of in excess of £70million.
Pep Guardiola also admirers Atletico Madrid star Jose Gimenez, but the La Liga giants are insistent that he will only leave the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium if they receive his full £90m release clause.
As such, Citizens chiefs are keen to look elsewhere in our search of Aymeric Laporte’s long-term centre-half partner, and feel Kounde would be a far more ideal option than the 21-year-old’s Sevilla teammate Diego Carlos.
Our interest in Kounde has also been supported by The Telegraph, who claim we are willing to send Nicolas Otamendi in the opposite direction if it ensures the Paris-born ace heads to Manchester just a year after joining Sevilla from boyhood side FC Girondins Bordeaux in a £22.4m deal.
Otamendi’s role in negotiations is likely an effort to drive down Sevilla’s asking price, with Kounde secured by a £68.25m release clause and the La Liga outfit holding an interest in the Argentine who Guardiola is open to offers for.
Sevilla would be within their right to request Kounde’s buy-out is met, as the talented 21-year-old started 25 of his 29 La Liga appearances last season, in which he recorded an average 5.0 duels won – the same as Koulibaly managed in his 25 Serie A outings but with a greater success rate (63% to 57%), per SofaScore.
Will City sign another CB to join Ake at the Etihad this summer?
Yes
No
Hopes of signing Koulibaly this summer have taken yet another knock recently, as reports in Italy have suggested Napoli President Aurelio de Laurentiis does not feel he can trust the Sky Blues to continue pursuing the Senegalese ace also targeted by Paris Saint-Germain.
Kounde being eyed as a potential alternative therefore make sense, but the likelihood of a deal are slim given the France Under 21 international recently stated that his intentions are to stay with Sevilla amid interest from Real Madrid.
“I am a Sevilla player, I’m fine here. There is a phrase that we repeat a lot and sometimes it seems that it is said without thinking, but the reality is that in the world of football we never know what will happen,” Kounde told Estadio Deportivo.
“At the moment I am a Sevilla player and I’m very focused on what we have to do as a team. I’m staying at Sevilla.
“Right now, I don’t think about a long-term future, what I know is that I’m happy at Sevilla and very grateful because it is an honour to be in this club, in which I have grown a lot. I am happy.”
Efforts to strengthen Guardiola’s backline, therefore, may have to be on breaking the bank to either land Koulibaly or trigger Gimenez’s release clause in Madrid.