Man United face three way battle for key summer target worth £60m | OneFootball

Manchester United to face off against Barcelona and Real Madrid for Jules Kounde

According to The Sun, Manchester United face competition from Real Madrid and Barcelona for Jules Kounde.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is keen to bring in a centre-back to partner Harry Maguire in defence. The backline has proven to be United’s Achilles heel this season.

Both Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly have partnered the United skipper with varying success. Despite Maguire also appearing to be part of the problem, his spot in the starting XI appears to be more or less assured.

With Dayot Upamecano signing for Bayern Munich, United have shifted their attention to Sevilla star Kounde.

The 22-year-old came into the first-team fold at Ligue 1 side Bordeaux before moving to Sevilla in 2019. He has since emerged as a key player for the La Liga giants.

United have a first-hand experience of going up against Kounde during last season’s Europa League semifinals against Sevilla. The youngster played the entire match as the Spaniards won 2-1.

Valued at £60million, the Frenchman will not come cheap. Given his age and potential, he could go on to become a leading defender for the better part of a decade. In the long run, it could prove to be money well spent.

Both the Spanish giants are also in need of defensive reinforcements. Real Madrid face the prospect of losing both Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane while Barcelona are keen to add steel to their backline.

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Comfortable both aerially and on the ground, Kounde is a player who has the right attributes to thrive in the United backline. Moreover, his pace will act as the perfect foil to a rather slow Maguire.

Kounde, on paper, looks to be an excellent fit for the United squad. Whether we can land him remains to be seen.