Manchester United have joined the race to sign an exciting new defender who would be cheaper than Jarrad Branthwaite, it has been claimed.
Manchester United chasing a centre back
The FA Cup success on Sunday was welcome respite for Erik ten Hag, but did little to mask the dismal Premier League season his side suffered. Finishing eighth, the Red Devils conceded the second most shots of any side in Europe's top five leagues (17.6 per game), more than Luton Town and only just fewer than 20th placed Sheffield United.
One of the key contributing factors to that was of course the defence, which lacked any stability thanks to injuries and is now down to it's bare bones ahead of the summer.
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Raphael Varane has already announced his departure from the club this summer when his contract comes to an end, while Jonny Evans is expected to do the same with the 36-year-old only ever having been bought in as emergency cover and out of contract this summer.
It leaves the Red Devils looking light at the back, with Casemiro having to have filled in towards the end of the season as injuries restricted Lisandro Martinez to just nine Premier League appearances and forced Ten Hag to rely on teenage defender Willy Kambwala at times after promoting him from the United academy.
Manchester United's limited options at centre-back
Player
Contract until
Lisandro Martinez
2027
Harry Maguire
2025
Victor Lindelof
2025
Willy Kambwala
2025
Ten Hag's side have been strongly linked with a move for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, but any deal for the youngster is likely to require a significant fee perhaps in excess of that which they shelled out for Harry Maguire in 2019.
With that in mind, reports claim that the Red Devils are also looking elsewhere at potential options, and now they could have found one.
Red Devils eye versatile Barcelona star
That comes in the shape of Barcelona defender Jules Kounde, who is reportedly open to a move away from the Nou Camp this summer. The Frenchman only arrived in Catalonia in 2022, but has struggled to nail down a spot in his favoured centre-back role and has reportedly grown tired of playing at right back.
That is according to FootballTransfers, who report that the defender is "unhappy playing exclusively as a right-back" and is now "open" to leaving Barcelona this summer. Meanwhile, his biggest backer has left the club with Xavi's departure.
Speaking last month after his side beat PSG, the Spaniard hailed Kounde as "one of the best", adding that he asked for the defender personally.
“He was one of the transfers that I asked for. He’s one of the best defenders in the world right now. Stopping Mbappé was a collective effort. Kounde did amazing against Mbappé but Lamine [Yamal] also helped him a lot”, the Barcelona icon explained.
But with Flick having now taken charge, and Barcelona in need of funds, a 50m euro price tag has been slapped on the Frenchman's head.
The 25-year-old was formerly on Chelsea's radar, but it is the Red Devils credited with an interest this time around. A deal at around £42m would see Barcelona break even on the Frenchman, and it could prove a very savvy piece of business from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS as they look to rebuild the Manchester United backline.
Just over half the price of any move for Branthwaite, Kounde's arrival could allow funds to be freed up elsewhere at Old Trafford.
