Manchester United could trigger Frenchman’s €80m clause: A strong option for the club?

Manchester United have reportedly entered the race for Sevilla defender Jules Kounde, who is also coveted by Chelsea.

Jules Kounde was close to joining Chelsea in the summer after turning down the chance to join Tottenham Hotspur. However, a deal didn’t materialise as the Blues had an offer of £42.5million rejected by Sevilla.

Since staying put at the club, the Frenchman has been integral to the Julen Lopetegui-managed Sevilla side’s rise to third in La Liga. The Andalusian club currently boast the best defensive record in La Liga, having leaked only seven goals in 12 games.

According to Spanish outlet AS, Sevilla are understood to be fearful that Manchester United would pay the €80 million release clause of defender Jules Kounde in the January transfer window following their defensive problems since the beginning of the 2021-22 season.

Manchester United have lost their way in the Premier League since late September, picking up a paltry four points from 18 games. They have been beaten by Aston Villa, Leicester City, Liverpool and Manchester City along the way, leaving manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on the brink of losing his job.

Jules Kounde to Manchester United – A strong defensive option for the Red Devils?

In a bid to bolster their backline, Manchester United spent around £42m with add-ons to sign Raphael Varane from Real Madrid. But Varane’s start to Premier League adventure has been hampered by injuries, while Harry Maguire has looked a shadow of his former self this season.

Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly are squad players at best for a club of Manchester United’s stature, with the latter scoring an own goal in the 2-0 derby defeat to Manchester City at Old Trafford last weekend. With the Red Devils leaking goals aplenty for over a month now, it is imperative for Solskjaer—if he stays in the job—to address the defensive problems as quickly as possible.

Given Varane’s slow start to life at Old Trafford, Maguire’s struggles, the inconsistencies that come with both Lindelof and Bailly and Phil Jones yet to gain full fitness after recovering from a serious knee injury, signing a central defender in January would be a sensible idea. To that end, Jules Kounde would fit the bill perfectly at Old Trafford.

Kounde, rated as one of Europe’s top young defenders, is a quality ball-playing centre-back with good anticipation, tackling and interception skills. The Frenchman can get caught out of position at times but has the recovery pace to get back and reclaim possession.

The 22-year-old possesses the ability to turn defence into attack in a blink of an eye with his vision and diagonal crossing. Truly, the France international has shown great maturity and made big strides over the last two years at Sevilla under a smart manager like Julen Lopetegui.

Kounde, who can also operate at right-back when required, has a long way to go in his career, and if he can maintain his high standards in the Premier League, he could potentially be a terrific addition to the Manchester United backline whilst being the ideal partner for Varane. Thus, the Red Devils must do everything to their powers to beat Chelsea to the Sevilla star’s signature in the winter transfer window.