Manchester City reportedly attempted to steal a march on Barcelona to sign Jules Kounde, who had his heart set on moving to Camp Nou.
According to a report by French publication L’Equipe, Manchester City attempted a late hijack of Jules Kounde before he completed his move to Barcelona. The Catalan giants have secured the services of the French international in an initial €50 million deal, with an additional €5 million being add-ons.
Jules Kounde became one of the most highly sought-after players in the transfer market this summer on the back of three top-notch seasons with Sevilla. The 23-year-old established himself as one of the best defenders in La Liga while also becoming a regular for the French national side.
So as the summer transfer window opened, Kounde became the subject of interest from some of the biggest clubs in Europe. Chelsea, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain showed interest in the player, who had his heart set on joining Barcelona and got his desired move this week. But he might have been a Manchester City if the Premier League champions had their way.
The interest from Manchester City is a tad-bit surprising, considering Pep Guardiola has four top-class centre-backs at his disposal. While Aymeric Laporte might miss the start of the 2022/23 season, the Manchester City manager still seems to have enough resources in the central defensive unit.
The first thoughts from @jkeey4 on his arrival in Barcelona pic.twitter.com/CQTb5ms6L5
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) July 28, 2022
But Kounde was not interested in joining Manchester City anyway, especially after agreeing to join Barcelona instead of Chelsea last week. The Blues thought about submitting an improved offer to prise the 23-year-old away from Sevilla but eventually decided against it and are now scouring the market for alternatives.
Barcelona ultimately won the race to sign Kounde, with Sevilla set to receive an initial fee worth €50 million. Barcelona will also be liable to shell out €5 million in add-ons if they meet certain conditions. And according to L’Equipe, the French international will commit the next five years of his career to Barcelona.
As for Manchester City, it will be interesting to see if the Premier League champions dip their toes into the market for a centre-back in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, Kounde has got his desired move to Barcelona and will hope to forge a strong partnership with Ronald Araujo in the years to come.
