Manchester United have registered an interest in signing a Barcelona player this summer.
The Red Devils are still debating whether to keep or sack Erik ten Hag as their new manager. That decision needs to be made in the coming days. Once that happens, the focus can switch to the summer transfer window.
Irrespective of who’s in charge, INEOS have identified a few players who they think are right for the club. One of them currently plays for Barcelona.
Barcelona set Jules Kounde’s price tag as Manchester United eye move
Manchester United are almost guaranteed to sign a new central defender this summer.
Raphael Varane has announced that he will be leaving the club, while there’s a chance Harry Maguire could be sold too, once the window opens in June.
Lisandro Martinez is really good when he’s fit, but Manchester United need a solid defender next to him, and they have been linked with several players already.
Jarrad Branthwaite of Everton is a target for United even though he plays on the same side as Martinez. Another player who has been linked now is Barcelona’s Jules Kounde.
That’s according to FootballTransfers, who claim that INEOS are looking for a centre-back who can also play as a right-back.
They think Kounde would be the perfect fit for that role at Manchester United.
The French defender, according to the BBC%20buyout%20clause.), has a release clause of €1 billion (£837m) inserted in his contract, but FootballTransfers claim Barcelona are willing to sell him for a fraction of that.
The Catalans, who are in need of cash, are ready to let Kounde go for just €50 million (£42m).
READ MORE: £40m defender responds when asked if he’s joining Man United
What Xavi said about Kounde after he kept Kylian Mbappe quiet
Kounde didn’t have his greatest season at Barcelona, but he looked much better in the final few months of the season.
The Frenchman, still only 25, played 48 times for the Catalans in all competitions in the 2023/24 season, including eight games in the Champions League.
One of those fixtures was the first-leg of the quarter-finals against Paris Saint-Germain back in April. Kounde had a brilliant game and earned a ton of plaudits for his performance.
He kept his compatriot, Kylian Mbappe, under wraps for large parts of the game.
A couple of days after the fixture, Xavi heaped praise on him. He said in a press conference, as per Get Football News Spain: “Koundé? I can say that he was one of the transfers that I asked for.
“He’s one of the best defenders in the world right now.”