Manchester United Rumors: Red Devils Told How Much La Liga Star's Transfer Costs
KEY POINTS
- Manchester United has been linked to Sevilla's Jules Kounde
- Sevilla sporting director Monchi is not willing to cut down Kounde's market value
- The defender might not be keen on leaving Sevilla
Manchester United would have to prepare a lump sum of money for Sevilla’s Jules Kounde.
The pursuit of a well-rounded central defender has become a priority for Manchester United ahead of the summer transfer window.
An array of highly-rated center-backs is now reportedly on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ed Woodward’s radar, including Sevilla star Kounde.
The French defender emerged as a surprise signing for Sevilla in 2019 and is now one of the most promising stars of the club.
Sevilla sporting director Monchi is well aware that big-name clubs have been chasing Kounde but is not open to compromise the player’s current price tag, Spanish outlet Marca reported.
According to the report, despite the global health crisis, Sevilla is “in no mood to offer any discounts” for Kounde as the club views the defender as a long-term player.
However, a bid around the region of €80 million ($97 million) could be enough to lure the director.
As for Kounde himself, his recent comments suggest that he is not considering leaving the La Liga side at the moment.
"He told me what he wants from me," Kounde told the outlet about Sevilla coach Julen Lopetegui. "He said that he'd help me to grow.”
"I always prefer to be told where and how to improve," he added.
Kounde has been a dependable player at Sevilla, having played a key role in the club’s Europa League win.
Since then, the 22-year-old hasn’t stopped progressing and became a regular for the club this season.
Aside from talent, Kounde is also a fearless player on the pitch. In fact, some of the people who have been working with him told the Spanish outlet that "he never seems nervous” and "he's cold-blooded."
Meanwhile, Manchester United has decided to bolster the midfield as well. Instead of signing a top prospect, the Red Devils promoted two of their most notable youngsters at the Under-23s squad–Shola Shoretire and Hannibal Mejbri.
“We’ve moved Shola [Shoretire] up with us. Hannibal [Mejbri] will join us and we will keep them with us for a while,” Solskjaer told reporters in a recent press conference. “I think it’s the next step of their development and we’ve just got to take the hit on them when they play for the reserves.”
“They have to travel by themselves, so they move into our bubble,” the manager added. “I think that’s a nice step for them and well deserved because they’ve done really well.”
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