Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tells Ed Woodward his new No 1 transfer target

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Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made Sevilla defender Jules Kounde his new top transfer target, according to reports. The Red Devils have seen Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire blow hot and cold this season. And they’re looking to improve their backline at the end of the season.

United wanted to sign Dayot Upamecano back in the summer but, ultimately, opted against bringing him to Old Trafford.

And they now look poised to look elsewhere.

According to The Mirror, Solskjaer has made Kounde his No 1 transfer target ahead of the summer window.

The Sevilla star impressed last term, shining as the La Liga giants won the Europa League – beating the Red Devils en route to the final.

He only moved to the club from Bordeaux 18 months ago but has already enhanced his reputation with some stirring displays over in Spain.

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And while Bayern Munich, Juventus and Real Madrid all want the 22-year-old, Solskjaer is eager to beat them to the Frenchman’s signature.

It’s said he’s been on the Red Devils’ radar for a while.

And Solskjaer has told Woodward he wants the defender to sign in the summer, especially after missing out on Upamecano nearly a year ago.

Woodward, for his part, is willing to back Solskjaer.

But he’s told the Norwegian he’ll need to offload the likes of Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo and Sergio Romero before the club can act.

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Woodward has previously claimed the club will back Solskjaer over coming transfer windows, saying: “What happens on the field is clearly our top priority, and while it’s not the same without fans in the stadium, we’ve seen lots of highs since our last meeting in April, with that 14-game unbeaten run to finish third in last season’s Premier League run and great wins against PSG and RB Leipzig on our return to the Champions League this season.

“Of course, we recognise there’s more hard work ahead to achieve the consistency needed to win trophies.

“But we see positive signs on the pitch and the training ground that reinforce our belief in the progress being made by Ole, his coaching team and the players.

“I told this forum back in April that we remained committed to strengthening the squad, while being disciplined in our spending during the pandemic.

“I believe we’ve delivered on that, with the additions we made during the summer taking our total net spending to over €200m since summer 2019 – more than any other major European club over that period.

“We will continue to support Ole with a planned, long-term approach to recruitment, focused on the summer windows.”

Solskjaer himself ruled out adding to his squad in January.

“Bar something surprising happening I don’t think anything will happen in terms of incomings, no,” he said.

“I would be surprised if we do any incomings.

“The squad is strong, it is full of quality.

“I still need to leave players out of the squad at times.”

Other United transfer targets for the summer window include Borussia Dortmund pair Erling Haaland and Jadon Sancho.

But signing them will be easier said than done with Europe’s elite also keen to secure their signatures.

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