Manchester United will consider a move for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Ben White if they fail to pursue Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde, Cadena SER reporter Jose David Lopez claims.
The Red Devils are likely to recruit a new central defender this summer, with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer not convinced by the performances of Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly alongside Harry Maguire.
Kounde has been mentioned as a potential target for the Red Devils, but Lopez reports that Sevilla are reluctant to sell him for anything less than €80 million.
The fee could prove a stumbling block for United, and White is reportedly the back-up target. Brighton are said to want around €50m for the 23-year-old.
Sportslens view:
Kounde has excelled with Sevilla over the past few years and played a key role at the heart of the defence as they won the Europa League last term.
He has good ballplaying abilities and, earlier last month, scored a superb solo goal against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semi-final.
Despite this, he is not physically imposing at 1.78m and recently struggled against Borussia Dortmund’s Erling Braut Haaland in the Champions League.
He will face similar challenges in the English top-flight, and United may be better off looking elsewhere with the staggering €80m price tag involved.
White, on the other hand, has built his reputation significantly over the past 20 months, and he is regarded as an integral part of Brighton’s backline this term.
It has been reported that Maguire wants an English centre-back partner, and White could be the ideal fit, should United aim to meet the captain’s demands.
The 23-year-old has also been linked with arch-rivals Liverpool in the past, and United may need to make an early approach to ward off any bidding battle.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
Premier League 2020/21 Week 28: EPL Results & Table.