Man City eye target with €68m release clause as possible swap deal touted

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Man City have reportedly set their sights on Sevilla defender Jules Kounde as Pep Guardiola looks to shore up his backline in the coming weeks.

City struggled at the back last season as they became a little more vulnerable following the departure of Vincent Kompany along with the injury issues that Aymeric Laporte suffered with.

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In turn, they moved to address that with the signing of Nathan Ake this summer, but it appears as though Guardiola might not be done just yet.

As reported by The Sun, Man City have identified Kounde as an alternative target to Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly as it is continuing to prove to be a difficult task to prise the world-class centre-half away from the Italian giants.

However, landing Kounde might be tricky too as it’s noted that he has a €68m release clause in his current contract, although City could bring that fee down as it’s suggested that Nicolas Otamendi could move in the opposite direction in a swap deal.

The 21-year-old has certainly impressed for the La Liga outfit, and so if a deal can’t be done for Koulibaly, Guardiola may decide that a swoop for the Sevilla ace could be the smart Plan B to ensure that they have enough defensive quality to shore things up at the back and become even more competitive this season and beyond.

More Stories Jules Kounde Kalidou Koulibaly Nicolas Otamendi

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