Man Utd centre-back search goes on as club ‘unwilling’ to meet Jules Kounde fee

Manchester United's search for a centre-back looks set to continue with the club reportedly unwilling to pay Jules Kounde's £68million transfer fee.

United are believed to have made the Sevilla defender a top priority for the summer transfer window, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer seeking a top-class centre-back to partner Harry Maguire.

Kounde, 22, has emerged as one of Europe's top young defensive prospects, and was a target for Manchester City last summer before they signed Ruben Dias from Benfica.

Dias has been a revelation since arriving at City, shoring up the defence to help United's neighbours take a commanding lead at the top of the Premier League.

He also helped Guardiola's side keep a 24th clean sheet of the season in all competitions in their 2-0 Champions League win over Borussia Moenchengladbach on Wednesday.

Solskjaer will want a centre-half signing to have a similar impact – but the Red Devils are not willing to meet Kounde's release clause, according to the Daily Mail.

The publication says Sevilla are determined to stick to their valuation of the player, with their finances having been hit by the costs of the pandemic.

Sevilla's sporting director Monchi said his club received a "magnificent offer" from City last summer but had to turn it down as it fell short of their price tag – prompting them to move for Dias instead.

"Despite being a magnificent offer, very, very good, it did not satisfy the requests or what we thought of the player," he told Spanish publication El Desmarque.

"Perhaps it was not what he was worth, because possibly that offer was close to what he was worth at that moment but we also have to think about what he can be worth [in the future]."

And while the La Liga side are keen not to let him leave on the cheap, United are said to be similarly eager to avoid paying over the odds for any player this summer.

So unless they decide to stump up the cash, the search for Maguire's long-term partner will go on.

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