Chelsea and Manchester United have been below their fans’ expectation this season and will look to rebuild their squads in the upcoming summer, in spite of spending lavishly last year. The Premier League rivals are expected to have a number of mutual targets, one of whom is reportedly Barcelona defender Jules Kounde.
According to Spanish source El Nacional (h/t 90min), the Blues and the Red Devils have shown an interest in acquiring Kounde from Barcelona this summer. The report adds that the French international will be available for roughly £41 million in the summer after ‘underwhelming’ manager Hansi Flick in the recent past by being late for team meetings as well as matchdays.
Chelsea will hold upper hand over United
Chelsea held an interest in Jules Kounde even when he was at Sevilla and in spite of being close to a transfer for him, the defender opted in favour of staying in La Liga with a swoop to Barcelona. And though the last few months of his career have been some of the best in Catalonia for the 26-year-old, a recent series of quarrels with Hansi Flick have led to rumours of him departing.
If indeed Chelsea and Manchester United declare interest in Kounde during the summer, it is hard to look past the Blues as his next potential destination. Predominantly a central defender, the player has adapted superbly to playing as a right back lately and with Reece James struggling for fitness, the Barca star could slot straight into the starting eleven under Maresca.
United’s finances are messy at the moment and they might require to make some sales before being able to afford Kounde. Moreover, with Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui available at right back, alongside numerous other central defenders, it remains to be seen whether Ruben Amorim will have a budget to spend on revamping his backline this summer.
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