Despite spending big on his back four, Man United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is said to be keen on bolstering his defense once more – as early as this January, even!
The reasons are obvious. While Raphael Varane has been solid since arriving from Real Madrid over the summer, the Frenchman has suffered a few injury issues and has thus been limited to only six starts. Harry Maguire, on the other hand, has been struggling with form, having returned from his impressive Euro 2020 campaign with England as a shadow of his former self.
And once again, the Red Devils are ready to spend big in order to address this issue. According to AS, the Premier League giants have set their eyes on one highly-rated Spanish top-flight defender and that man is none other than Sevilla ace Jules Kounde.
The Frenchman has gone from strength to strength, playing a role in Les Bleus' recent UEFA Nations League win while being at the heart of Sevilla's surprise La Liga title push. Lopetegui's side are third in the table but are only one point behind league leaders Real Sociedad while boasting a game in hand. Key to this impressive start is their impeccable back four, with Los Palanganas boasting the best defense in the league, having conceded only seven goals while keeping six clean sheets after 12 games.
This transfer report is a concern for two clubs, the first being Sevilla. The Frenchman has a $93M release clause, which would render the Spanish club helpless should Man United trigger it. Given that Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid have all endured hiccups throughout this season, the Andalusian club are hopeful of getting their hands on their first La Liga crown since 1945/1946. Key to achieving this dream is retaining the services of Kounde until next summer, at the very least.
The other worried party will be Chelsea. It is no secret that the Blues were keen on signing the 22-year-old last summer, only to miss out on his signature after failing to agree on a fee with Sevilla. Given that Thiago Silva, Antonio Rudiger, and Andreas Christensen are all out of contract this summer, meaning they could depart Stamford Bridge in a few months' time, Thomas Tuchel will be keen on recruiting a center-back in any of the two upcoming transfer windows.
Juventus' Matthijs De Ligt is also on the London giants' radar, but with Kounde performing well this season, Chelsea are unlikely to abandon all interest in the Frenchman without one last try.
