Manchester City lodge inquiries over €50 million Barcelona defender | OneFootball

Inquiries have been made by Manchester City over one of Barcelona’s defensive options, viewed by the La Liga club as ‘the best in the world’ in his position.

The latest development signals City’s continued commitment to reinforcing their defensive unit ahead of the 2025/26 campaign following Kyle Walker’s exit to Burnley earlier this summer.

Having strengthened the central defensive roles in the January market through Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis, City have turned their focus to identifying a new long-term solution at right-back and Barcelona’s Jules Koundé now appears to be under consideration.

The 26-year-old France international has built a reputation for his tactical flexibility and composure, regularly operating both centrally and on the right side of Hansi Flick’s Barcelona defence – an ability that could prove especially valuable to Pep Guardiola.

City have already shown interest in other names across Europe, including Tino Livramento, but ultimately cooled their pursuit in the Newcastle United star despite talk of a willingness to commit to a £65 million spend on the England international.

Now, according to the information of journalist Fabrice Hawkins, Manchester City – alongside another unnamed ‘top-tier club’ – have made inquiries about FC Barcelona defender Jules Koundé.

The latest update comes amid ongoing negotiations between both player and club over a possible contract extension, and while those discussions have been active for ‘several weeks’, it is reported that a positive outcome is hoped for by all parties.

Koundé is contracted to Barcelona until the summer of 2027 and the versatile defender is highly valued by the Catalan club, who consider him the best in the world in his position – interchanging between centre-back and right-back.

While Barcelona remain hopeful of agreeing new terms with Koundé, interest from City could pose a test of both the club’s resolve and the player’s ambitions. The Catalan side continue to manage financial pressures and wage restructuring, and a sizeable offer – for a player they spent €50 million on – could force a rethink.

For Manchester City, their interest in Koundé aligns with a broader theme this summer: finding dependable, high-level options who can contribute immediately and adapt across Pep Guardiola’s first-team squad.

With Rico Lewis still developing and Matheus Nunes used sporadically at full-back in the last six months, a marquee defensive arrival remains on the cards – particularly one capable of slotting into the right-back role without compromising on technical quality or athleticism.

Whether City firm up their inquiry into an official bid remains to be seen, but Koundé now represents one of the most high-profile names linked to the Etihad Stadium in this window, and much will depend on how talks with Barcelona progress.